


'til journey's end

by swansaloft



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, F/F, High Fantasy, Romance, Slow Burn, but what else is new, i may as well have named this A Fantasy Trope-Fest, i would tag the tropes but there are like sixty, regina uses her Annoyance like a shield
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-12
Updated: 2018-09-12
Packaged: 2019-07-02 23:08:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 40,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15806409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swansaloft/pseuds/swansaloft
Summary: When word arrives that the neighboring kingdom of Therrihan might be in danger, Regina embarks on a mission to save the people from an impostor king. Unfortunately, the threat is too great to face alone, and the woman sent to accompany her a) talks too much, b) names her swords like they’re pets, and c) is generally annoying. To top it all off, she might even be able to best Regina at swordfighting, something none of her regular partners have ever managed.If only Regina could hang onto that annoyance, because spending time with Emma seems to have it shifting into something else entirely...(Or, The Medieval Fantasy Spy AU No One Asked For)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sarconistia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sarconistia/gifts).



> 1) Sarconistia is absolutely AMAZING, and you all should bow down to her awesomeness. <3 A million thanks wouldn't be enough. You can see her wonderful art [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15808839). You can also see an example below, because she took my super boring map and turned it into a masterpiece.  
> 2) *raises glass* A toast to the wonderful mods and the whole Supernova team! This wouldn't be possible without all of you, and we appreciate it so much.
> 
> A few elements were inspired by LOTR (which I was watching when I got the idea), as well as Graceling by Kristin Cashore, but this is not a rewrite of either one. This is a world where magic exists, but neither Regina nor Emma have magic.
> 
> If you want to see the full map but are unable to (AO3 has problems with images and mobile, sigh), click [here](https://i.imgur.com/2H6m1sS.jpg).  
> 

 

 

“Love without choice isn’t love at all.”

Beth Revis, _A Million Suns_

 

-

 

 

_Long ago, there lived a sorceress named Nimue, known as The Lady of the Lake. She was of great beauty and greater power, and although she rarely left the body of water she favored, she exercised her magic freely. One day she witnessed a knight by the name of Sir Phineas assisting an old woman across the river adjacent to her lake. Nimue was moved by this act of kindness, so she bestowed upon Sir Phineas a gift: a jeweled necklace enchanted so that its wearer would be unfathomably loved. Sir Phineas expressed gratitude for the gift, but when he wore it, he found the attention it caused made him uncomfortable. Unable to bring himself to destroy the necklace, he nonetheless did not want it among his possessions where anyone could stumble across it and use it for evil. He therefore hid it away deep in the recesses of the most remote cave he knew. Sir Phineas never breathed a word of the necklace’s location to another, and when he died, the knowledge of the necklace passed along with him._

 

 

##

 

“An extremely concerning report has reached us from the Kingdom of Therrihan.”

 

“Therrihan? Really?” a voice piped up, and Regina frowned. She was equally surprised, but she would never interrupt Queen Tiana, regardless of the fact that they were all ostensibly equals when in a Council meeting. Regina wiped away a bead of sweat from her upper lip, casting a quick inspection around the small room, crowded with ten or fifteen other bodies, all waiting to discover why this emergency meeting had been called.

 

The queen inclined her head. “Precisely. As you all are no doubt aware, we have heard nothing but glowing reports from our members in Therrihan for over a year. Several months ago, a Council member from Caezia wrote to me regarding some concerning whispers being passed among the sailors who worked the trade route with Therrihan. We did not know what to make of the rumors, and when Princess Jacinda of Therrihan wrote the following month, she allayed any concerns we may have had. However, I have received another letter from Princess Jacinda, and this one tells quite a different story.”

 

Tiana paused and unfolded a piece of paper. “She says, ‘Therrihan is in grave danger. I cannot fully explain why. The only time I find clarity of mind is when I am in my garden. It has always given me comfort, but now it seems to be the only place where my thoughts are my own. I write to you sitting in the midst of it, hoping the petals and leaves can shield me just a little longer. I don’t understand what is happening; I only know that the man who sits on the throne is not my father.’”

 

Regina’s mouth dropped open as the room erupted in commotion. The queen held up her hand, and silence fell again.

 

“The letter continues only two paragraphs more. It remains disjointed and seemingly outlandish, but I know Princess Jacinda’s hand as well as I know my own, and I have no doubt that it is authentic. It seems Therrihan has fallen into the hands of a dangerous man wielding some form of mind control.”

 

This time, she did not quiet the murmurs, but continued on regardless, raising her voice to be heard above the din.

 

“Normally, I would not share this much information with those of you not going on the mission. However, I will need every one of you to keep your ears to the ground regarding this matter. If you hear one whisper, please report it to me immediately. I must also demand complete and utter secrecy. We do not know what danger we might unleash should the imposter realize he has been discovered.”

 

Regina listened as a few people asked questions and Tiana answered, but her mind whirred as she processed the information. She knew she would be the one sent to Therrihan, as Nala and Marian, the only other Yalian emissaries, were already in the far North dealing with a separate matter. The others in the room served different purposes. Some kept secret safe houses the Council used during expeditions. Some, like Eugenia, who owned the most popular tavern in all of Yalia, were primarily members because they had easy access to a lot of information.

 

She kept quiet as Tiana repeated the information she had already presented, and gradually, it became obvious that there was nothing more to say. Tiana called the meeting to an end with one last urge for secrecy. She met Regina’s eye and gave her a small nod, which Regina returned.

 

Regina moved to the front of the room as the rest filed out, ready to go home to their jobs and families with renewed purpose.

 

Tiana and Naveen waited with her until the door shut behind the crowd and the dim room was empty aside from the three of them.

 

“Regina.”

 

She inclined her head. “Your Majesty.”

 

“Would you accept this mission? I ask not as your queen but as a member of the Council.” Her voice was formal, but her eyes were friendly.

 

“Of course. I will do what I can to maintain peace and safety of The Four Kingdoms.”

 

Tiana quirked a small smile. “I did not ask for a recitation of the code of the Council.”

 

Regina lifted a shoulder. “‘Tis what I do. I am at your service. But...I will confess to being a bit at a loss. I have no prior experience with mind control. How does one begin to combat it?”

 

Tiana sighed, and Naveen placed a quiet hand on her shoulder, speaking for the first time. “We once dealt with something like it. There is an herb that can be used to ward against compulsion magic. It is rare and not something we grow here at the castle. There is a witch we trust in the next village. She goes by the name Zelena, and she has helped us in the past.”

 

“The Green Witch?”

 

Tiana nodded. “Yes. She will be able to give you both what you need.”

 

Regina hesitated. “Both?”

 

“Yes. You will be working with a Council emissary from Vrizath.”

 

Regina bit back her immediate urge to protest. She preferred traveling alone, and if two people were required, she took Nala. They had worked together a number of times in the past. Nala knew Regina’s methods, her strengths and weaknesses. She made a good partner.

 

Now she was to work with a stranger? The person would probably be lazy or incompetent, and Regina would have to take on everything alone and still be responsible for the safety of another being. Tiana may as well have strapped a newborn babe to her chest.

 

As though she could read her thoughts, Tiana smiled. “I know you prefer working alone. But Emma is the best emissary Vrizath has to offer. I am told her fighting skills might surpass even yours.” That stung a bit, though she knew the queen was jesting. Tiana’s eyes sobered again, and the grin dropped from her face. “Moreover, compulsion magic is extremely dangerous, and there is no chance I would send you on this mission alone. Fortunately, Emma just completed a task for the Council that left her not a day’s ride away. I sent a messenger for her this morning, directly after I received the letter. She will be meeting you at the inn near Zelena’s cottage at dawn tomorrow.”

 

Regina inclined her head in deference to the other woman’s authority, but she bit the inside of her lip.

 

This Emma better live up to her reputation.

 

##

 

After Tiana and Naveen finished telling her all the details they knew, Regina used the few remaining hours of daylight to quickly pack her things, saddle Rocinante, and ride to the inn where she would be meeting the Perfect Emma the next morning.

 

As she rode, Regina found bits and pieces of the princess’s letter coming back to her.

 

_I cannot explain what happened to my father, nor precisely how long ago it was that King Padraic - for that is the name of the impostor - took the throne. I only know that I am powerless against whatever magic he wields, and when he asks anything of me, I cannot go against it. This is why I have not written to you of him until now, now that I have found this safe space. I long to run as far away as my legs will take me, to a place where my mind is my own again, but I cannot abandon my people to such a man._

 

Regina shuddered. She might not be excited to work with a new partner, but she had to admit after hearing more of the letter, she was grateful not to be embarking on this mission alone. The possibility of not being in control of her own thoughts or actions terrified her, and Regina was not easily frightened.

 

She reached the inn just as the moon made its first appearance, and her stomach gave a happy but neglected rumble when she caught the scent of stew and bread as she pushed open the door.

 

“Good evening,” said a jolly man with a large red beard. “What can I do for you?”

 

“Dinner and a room for one for the evening, if you please,” Regina answered.

 

The innkeeper named a price, and she pushed the silver dhysars toward him. The man waved her into the next room, which Regina knew from previous experience was where the delicious aromas were emanating from.

 

The room was dimly lit and the tables dented in places, but everything was impeccably clean. The innkeeper’s wife introduced herself as Laedra, and she served a stew that Regina devoured in minutes. She ate until her stomach was full to bursting, always conscious that when on a mission, the status of her next hearty meal was always uncertain.

 

Regina stood and stretched, covered a yawn, and thanked Laedra for the delicious supper. She stepped into the doorway, her mind on the bed waiting above, and suddenly collided with something soft and with quite a lot of hair.

 

“Oof!”

 

Regina stepped back immediately, taking stock of the situation in a split second. Her coin purse was still securely in her pocket, both pieces of jewelry still in place, and the culprit was not set on attacking her.

 

In fact, it was not a culprit at all; merely a woman with a mass of blonde hair and a sheepish grin. She was dressed much like Regina, in a plain tunic and breeches rather than a dress, and a long, sheathed dagger was strapped to her belt. “My apologies, milady.”

 

Regina bit back the urge to berate the woman for her carelessness and instead nodded stiffly. “Apology accepted,” she said, and stepped to the side to let the woman through.

 

“Is that all?”

 

Instead of moving, the blonde just watched her.

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“You’re not going to apologize to me? You ran into me just as much as I ran into you,” the woman challenged, her eyes sparkling with mirth.

 

Regina was in no mood for banter, no matter how pretty the woman’s eyes might be in the lamplight. She merely raised her brows, waiting for her to move so Regina could leave. The woman finally did so, pausing just as she passed Regina.

 

“By the by, you might inquire about the extra services they offer here,” she said, quirking a brow. “I understand they are wonderful at removing sticks from bums.”

 

When Regina said nothing in return, the woman just chuckled and moved away, greeting Laedra like an old friend.

 

Regina shook her head and ascended the stairs to her modest bedroom. She had a long journey awaiting her, and only eight hours until she was to meet her mysterious new partner.

 

##

 

She slept deeply, only waking when the innkeeper knocked on her door at twenty minutes until sunrise, as she had requested the night before.

 

Regina washed and readied herself for the day, ate breakfast, and walked outdoors just as the sun peeked over the eastern horizon in a brilliant shine of pinks and oranges. She took a moment to appreciate the brilliant colors, just breathing in the stillness of the morning and preparing herself for the journey ahead. It was already growing a bit warm, but it would not be unbearable.

 

A movement under the tree to her right caught her eye, and Regina looked toward it and paused.

 

Internally, she laughed, because _of course_ this would happen _._ Externally, she only sighed. She strode up to the blonde woman standing beneath the branches. “‘Tis you, isn’t it?”

 

The woman - Emma, Regina was almost entirely sure - eyed her cautiously. “The goddess Taana bids me tell you hello.”

 

“I thank you and hope your flowers will grow,” said Regina, completing the second half of the code words used by members of the Council.

 

Silence fell for a few seconds before Emma cleared her throat.

 

“Well. This could be awkward, but I believe introductions are in order. I am Emma, an emissary from the Kingdom of Vrizath.”

 

Emma offered her hand, and Regina clasped it.

 

“Regina, emissary from Yalia.”

 

Emma smiled. “It is nice to officially meet you. Did you sleep well?”

 

“I did. Stick and all.”

 

Emma laughed aloud. “I am delighted to find you do possess a sense of humor after all.”

 

“I will warn you now that it comes and goes. You caught me on a good morning. It likely will not last.”

 

“I will treasure it while it does, then.”

 

Regina straightened her posture, ready to begin their quest. Every moment they waited was another moment Therrihan was in danger.

 

“The witch lives only a couple miles south of here. Can you have your pack and horse ready in twenty minutes?”

 

“Easily. Meet here?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Emma disappeared almost as soon as the word left her mouth. Perhaps this Emma would not be a complete disaster.

 

##

 

Emma arrived on a pretty bay mare, two minutes before the appointed time. She was prompt, which was definitely a point in her favor.

 

They rode at an easy pace, side-by-side. Rocinante was at least a hand taller than Emma’s horse, but they were still close enough in height that Regina felt confident in their ability to converse without fear of being overheard.

 

“How much do you know?”

 

“About the mission?”

 

Regina nodded.

 

“Only the basic information. Queen Tiana was clearly in a hurry when she wrote to me, and she did not give many details. She said you were to fill me in on everything else.”

 

Regina had guessed that would likely be the case, for expediency as well as security. She recited everything she could from Princess Jacinda’s letter.

 

Emma clicked her tongue a few times, mulling over the information. “I don’t wish to be insensitive, but...is it possible she’s just mad?”

 

“I asked the same thing. Queen Tiana acknowledged that as a possibility, but she said she knew in her gut that something was wrong. She and Princess Jacinda are very good friends, and they write each other regularly. If something _has_ happened to the princess to cause her to start harboring delusions, it is very recent. And if we arrive in Therrihan and find that is the case, we are to help her in any way we can, including taking her back to Yalia for treatment if necessary.”

 

“You don’t think it is, though. Do you?”

 

“I don’t. I agree with the queen; I believe something is wrong. Not only because the tone of the letter was convincing, but the content was as well. The necklace she described matching the Necklace of Nimue so exactly - It cannot be a coincidence. Not when the stories match so well.”

 

“Necklace of Nimue?” Emma cocked her head to the side. “I’m not familiar with that.”

 

“Neither was I, until yesterday. It is an old legend, and very vague. King Naveen found it when they were searching the library after receiving the letter.”

 

She recounted the tail of Sir Phineas and the necklace, and Emma let out a low whistle when she reached the bit about the wearer of the necklace being “unfathomably loved.”

 

“Unfathomably.” She paused for a moment. “Perhaps that much love, so much love that they cannot understand it - that might be enough to make the people it impacts confused.”

 

“And might be enough to convince them to love him no matter who he was or what he did. And to not want to go against his commands.”

 

Regina finished the tale, and they rode on in silence for a minute longer, before the trees on the right side suddenly turned into a clearing. In the middle of the open area sat a stone cottage. It was larger than Regina had imagined it would be, and the garden surrounding it was enormous. There were flowers and bushes, small trees and climbing vines, herbs and vegetables. It was no wonder people called her The Green Witch.

 

“Good morning,” a lilting, disembodied voice floated over to them from somewhere in the garden.

 

“Good morning,” Regina returned, eyes searching for the woman amidst all the plants. She and Emma both disembarked from their horses and tied the reins to the wooden post, waiting for the woman to emerge and greet them.

 

“What can I do for you ladies?” the witch - Zelena, Regina reminded herself - finally popped out from the garden, and Regina was momentarily taken aback. Zelena was thin as a willow, though she was slightly shorter than Regina herself. Her hair was as red as a blacksmith’s tongs, her eyes greener than the parsley she held in her hand. She had an almost ethereal presence, nothing at all like the grouchy grandmother-type Regina had envisioned.

 

“The goddess Taana bids me tell you hello,” Regina said, the opening lines familiar on her tongue from having said them dozens of times before.

 

“Ah! Here on Council business, are you? Well, come inside. I have no servants to overhear.”

 

Regina normally waited for the scripted response and chided those who did not give it, but she followed along behind the woman anyway. Zelena kept up a string of chatter the whole way.

 

“Yes, to answer the question you are both no doubt thinking, I am half-elf. No, I will not say anything in Elvish just to satisfy your curiosity, and yes, elves are better in bed. In case you were wondering.”

 

Emma emitted a sound suspiciously akin to a strangled laugh, and Regina was just glad the woman did not seem to expect any sort of response.

 

She continued chattering until they reached the sitting room. Zelena shut the door behind them and sat on the floor herself, gesturing Emma and Regina toward the two rocking chairs across from her.

 

Slightly disconcerted, Regina did so, and Emma followed suit.

 

“So. What does the Council need from me?”

 

“We need something that will prevent mind control from working on us.”

 

Zelena’s eyes widened. “Compulsion magic?”

 

“Yes,” Emma answered, and Zelena made a _tsk_ sound against her teeth.

 

“That is not at all what I expected. I am, as the younglings say, shooketh.”

 

Regina frowned. “That is not a word.”

 

“Not yet, it isn’t.”

 

Emma and Regina shared a short glance, the other woman no doubt sharing her misgivings.

 

“Do you know much about compulsion magic?”

 

Zelena nodded.”It is very rare, very dark, and very old. There is only one antidote that I know of.”

 

“Do you have any?”

 

“I do. Have you ever heard of eoranth?”

 

Regina shook her head.

 

“Few people have. It is very bitter, and it has no health benefits to speak of. In fact, it even weakens you slightly. But what it takes from the body it gives back to the mind, making it strong and completely impenetrable.”

 

Regina moved to protest, but Emma spoke first. “What do you mean, _weakens_? We are about to embark on a very difficult journey that will take us through Orc territory. We will need our strength.”

 

“As I said, it only slightly weakens. The two of you are very strong; you will be fine. Besides, there is no alternative. If you need protection from compulsion magic, this is your only option.”

 

“We will need enough for the both of us for at least a month,” Regina said definitively, cutting off what appeared to be another possible protest from Emma, who frowned at her over the interruption.

 

The witch nodded. “It will take time to prepare the tincture. Come back an hour before sundown. I will have what you need.”

 

She stood and quit the room, leaving Emma and Regina alone in their rocking chairs where they remained for a few seconds more before standing.

 

Emma chuckled. “One good thing about this job: you certainly meet some interesting people.”

 

“Indeed,” Regina answered, unsmiling. Her mind was already on other matters.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

“I had assumed we would be able to pick up the supplies and leave immediately. Now it looks as if we are delayed another day. I should have ridden harder and talked to her last night.”

 

“And had her up the entire night working for us?”

 

Regina hummed as she untied and mounted Rocinante. She had only thought of Princess Jacinda and the others in Therrihan, still under mind control, unknowingly waiting to be freed, but that was a valid point.

 

“I suppose not.”

 

“We will use the day to plan. It will not be a waste.”

 

“I planned everything last night.”

 

“Well, would you care to outline your strategy for me? I am going to be with you, after all. I would like to know where we are going. I might even be of some use,” she added with some light sarcasm. “I have traveled quite a lot.”

 

“As have I. Have you ever traveled through Orc territory before?”

 

“Never. Have you?”

 

“No. I have only been to Therrihan twice, and neither matter was time-sensitive. We were able to take the trade ships. But by my calculations, traveling on foot will save us at least a sennight.”

 

“If only someone could invent a way to cross the Midarryn. We could have been there in two days.”

 

“More luck to you if you prefer to die dashed to death upon the rocks.”

 

“You won’t be rid of me that easily. There is always the possibility of my being captured by orcs and roasted to death over an open flame, though, so don’t lose hope.” Emma grinned over at her, and Regina let out a small huff of amusement.

 

“There it is. I promised myself I would make you laugh before the day was through.”

 

“You are aware we’re on a very important mission? We have no idea what we might be facing.”

 

“Precisely. And what will worrying about it accomplish? Nothing. Better to keep spirits up. It always makes traveling much more enjoyable. Or less terrible, at least.”

 

“We won’t be traveling much today.”

 

“But it will be productive. Don’t think I have forgotten about your secret plan.”

 

Regina pulled Rocinante to a stop, taking in their surroundings, and Emma followed suit. She could see the inn in the distance, but there was no reason to go back there yet. Instead, she led her horse off the road and into a field of wild grass. There were a few evergreens that had been cut down along the treeline, and Regina hopped down, tied the reins to a branch of a nearby tree, and sat on one of the stumps.

 

Emma did the same, except she plopped directly into the grass.

 

“Secret planning meeting?”

 

“If you want to call it that, yes.”

 

Regina proceeded to outline everything she had plotted the night before as she rode for the inn, from how they would get through Orc territory to how they would hopefully return to Yalia once they were successful. They discussed possibilities of things that could go wrong and decided on contingency plans.

 

By the time they finished, the sun was much higher in the sky, though it was not quite time for the noon meal, and Regina had progressed to pacing while Emma was flat on her back, lounging in the grass, staring up at the sky. She jumped up suddenly, startling Regina.

 

“What do you say to a bit of sparring?”

 

“Sparring?”

 

“Yes. Train with me. We have nothing else to do while we wait.”

 

Regina stared at her. “We don’t have any swords.”

 

“You didn’t bring a sword?”

 

“You _did_?”

 

“Of course. I always have a sword,” Emma said, walking over to her mare. “Naturally, I didn’t pack a full broadsword, but I do have this little lady.”

 

She produced a short sword about two feet long, removing it from the scabbard. “This is Aella.”

 

Regina raised a brow. “You named your sword?”

 

“All my swords have names. Next you’ll be making fun of poor Keltainen here,” she said, patting her mare’s flank.

 

“Of course not. Horses should have names. Inanimate objects should not.”

 

“Suit yourself.” Emma shrugged, carefully resheathing the blade and packing it away in her saddle bag. “Now, where do we stand on the sparring idea?”

 

Regina gave it a considering thought. “No head blows, and taps only. I have no protective gear, and I would prefer not to embark on this journey already preemptively black and blue.”

 

“Five points wins?”

 

“I am willing. Sticks?”

 

“Nothing longer than three feet.”

 

Regina nodded, and they broke apart to find their makeshift weapons. If she pretended they were wooden swords, this was not much different from what she did every day when she was between journeys. She always had to maintain her strength, whether she trained alone or with Nala or Marian. Geppetto had always stressed the importance of constant practice and improvement.

 

Of course, she doubted he had envisioned impromptu roadside duels with fallen branches, but it sounded like a more than passable way to spend time. Besides, there was still that tiny part of her whispering Tiana’s words about Emma being the better fighter. Time to set that matter straight.

 

They met back at the stumps, each carrying a straight, short branch. Regina gave hers a good thwack against the stump to ensure it wasn’t rotten, and it made a satisfying noise and held true.

 

They backed into starting positions.

 

Regina gave the starting call, and Emma advanced immediately. Good. Regina preferred to begin on defense as she watched her opponent’s methodology.

 

However, it soon became clear that Emma was better than the opponents Regina usually faced. She was soon sweating, the sun beating down as she parried against Emma’s thrusts. She attempted a feint, but Emma saw through it and blocked her attempt.

 

Emma scored first, a gentle blow to Regina’s hip that came so quickly she barely had time to process it before Emma dropped her blade and fell back into the starting position.

 

Regina’s eyes narrowed. She rolled her wrist and shook out her fingers before dropping into her stance.

 

She gave the starting signal, and again, Emma began with a strong offense.

 

This time, however, Regina was ready for her.

 

Regina scored the next two points. One blow to the shoulder, another to the thigh.

 

When they were tied at three points each, they paused for a drink of water. Emma rolled up her shirtsleeves to her elbows, and Regina’s eyes caught briefly on what appeared to be manacle scars, faint and encircling both of her wrists. She did not ask, nor did she linger there, instead concentrating her gaze on the way the other woman stood, analyzing for any balance or favoring she could use to her advantage.

 

Regina scored the next point, and Emma the one after that.

 

Regina’s arm ached with fatigue, and her palm smarted even through the thick calluses she had developed over the last several years.

 

Emma panted audibly as she took up the final stance, and Regina pushed the hair away from her eyes, her breathing no less strained.

 

Their final battle was a long one, Regina switching from defense to offense and back again. Emma was not at all thrown off her guard, her ripostes quick and her parries sure. She flicked Regina’s stick, but Regina pivoted and narrowly avoided a blow to the ribs.

 

She countered with a brisk thrust, but Emma was too quick, the stick missing her by several inches.

 

Sweat dripped into her eyes, and she quickly wiped it away with her left forearm, keeping Emma on the defensive so she could not strike a blow while Regina was blinded.

 

Another minute passed, and Regina performed a beautiful feint that very nearly scored her the final point, but Emma blocked her at the very last moment. It was clumsy block, and Regina moved to perform the final blow. Her right side was open for no more than a split second, but that was all Emma needed.

 

A tap to the ribs, and it was finished.

 

Emma let out a shout of victory and immediately dropped her stick, heading to get water from her pack.

 

Regina stood in place, blinking down at the stick she still clutched.

 

She hadn’t been beaten at sparring in...a very long time.

 

To be completely fair, the match had been as close to a draw as possible. But still. She never lost.

 

“I’ll race you.” The words emerged from her lips before she had completely processed them.

 

“What?” Emma asked, wiping water from her mouth.

 

Regina took a gulp of her own, then repeated. “I’ll race you. To the treeline.” She gestured to the treeline on the other side of the field, perhaps a quarter mile away.

 

Emma smirked. “Why? You want to lose again?”

 

“On the contrary. I’m ready to win.”

 

The blonde grinned. “How can I say no to that? Count down together, first to the tall birch?”

 

“Alright.”

 

They lined up on each side of the tree stump Regina had been sitting on earlier. Together, they counted, “Three...two...one...GO!”

 

The wind whistled in her ears as she flew across the field. She glanced down at the ground every few feet, avoiding any unexpected holes, but she kept her attention on the birch tree, willing her feet to go faster, faster.

 

She dared not look beside or behind her. All she knew was that Emma was not in front, nor would she be allowed to move there.

 

The birch loomed large in her vision, and Regina pumped her legs harder.

 

Regina slapped the tree and slowed to a halt a few feet past it, pivoting around just in time to see Emma speeding by the other side. Her palm hit the tree a solid two seconds after Regina’s.

 

Regina grinned. “What was that you said about losing?”

 

She did not wait for Emma’s response, merely headed back toward the horses.

 

By the time they reached the inn and got the horses taken care of, it would be time to eat.

 

In fact, a glance at the sun told her they had sparred for longer than she had realized, and her stomach would no doubt agree once her breathing was back to a normal pace.

 

Emma trudged along beside her.

 

“I will want a rematch one day.”

 

“As will I. One with something better than sticks next time.”

 

“Count on it.”

 

##

 

They returned to Zelena’s an hour before sunset, as requested.

 

She was waiting for them in her garden, which was not a surprise at all. Regina assumed she must spend most of her waking hours there if she had no one helping her. Then again, she had magic, so who knew if she even needed help?

 

Zelena greeted them and ushered them inside again, this time leading them to a small, dark room the size of an oversized closet. It was cool and had a pleasantly earthy smell, and Regina was saddened when Zelena only went in briefly to grab something, then led them back out again.

 

Back in the lamplight near the front door, she presented them with large flask of dark amber.

 

“Here is your tincture. Take one sip at sunrise, one at sundown. No more than that. Drinking extra will only increase the side effects and lessen the length of time this bottle will last you.”

 

Emma took the bottle, and Zelena handed Regina a small, worn leather pouch. “I had some dried eoranth stored away. You can use this to brew a tea if your journey lasts longer than expected. Take it just as often, and use two pinches per cup of tea.”

 

“Thank you so much for all your assistance,” Regina said, tucking the dried herbs into the pocket of her tunic and pulling out her coin purse. She counted out the clenna and handed them over to Zelena. Her eyes glowed unnaturally green as she looked back and forth between Regina and Emma, and despite the fact that she had showed them nothing but kindness, Regina was suddenly happy to be leaving.

 

Zelena seemed on the brink of saying something, then shook her head to herself and gave them a smile that intimated she knew secrets they did not.

 

“May Taana grant you safe travels.”

 

“My thanks,” Regina replied, inclining her head.

 

She and Emma left the cottage and were nearly at the horses when a voice cried out behind them.

 

“Wait!”

 

Regina pivoted back toward the witch.

 

“I almost forgot.”

 

Zelena held out two long, thin leather thongs with tiny clear vials dangling at the end, only about half the size of her pinkie finger. They both had a bright green sprig of eoranth protected inside the glass, and she handed one to each of them.

 

“Wear these at all times inside your clothes, against your skin. Never take them off. If for some reason you should lose your supplies, you will have these. They will not completely protect you, but they should keep the magic from taking an unbreakable hold. You will still have limited capacity for your own thoughts.”

 

They both expressed their gratitude while tying the leather around their necks. Regina nestled hers into the opening of her tunic, and the glass was soothingly cool against her skin.

 

“What payment do you require?”

 

Zelena held up a hand. “They are a gift. If I did not have a community to serve, I would offer to accompany you. But there are too many in need of my services and too few witches left. My sisters and I thank you for your part in destroying this dark magic. Now, go.”

 

She waved them off without any further ado, then turned and scurried back into the cottage, her bare feet silent on the path.

 

Regina stared after her for a moment, then turned to climb onto Rocinante.

 

They needed to get plenty of sleep tonight, for at first light tomorrow, their journey would truly begin.

 

##

 

“What is your favorite place you have been on your travels?”

 

Regina glanced over in surprise. They had left the inn behind some time ago, setting a good pace that would allow them to reach their destination by nightfall but not so rapid as to exhaust their horses. Emma had not spoken since. Regina was going over the plans in her mind as she usually did when on a mission. What would they do if they were captured by Orcs? What would they do in the case of a hard storm? By playing all the possibilities in her head while she was in safety, she was more prepared when they came about. The habit had served her well in the past.

 

Besides, it gave her something to occupy her mind during the long hours and days she spent in the company of none other than herself. Something she generally preferred, because her own thoughts were always better than inane conversation. Nala would have known better than to try to engage her in any sort of talk not related to their expedition.

 

But Nala was not here. Emma was. And she had honestly lasted longer in silence than Regina had expected.

 

“Is the question so difficult?”

 

“I am considering. I don’t travel for my own amusement.”

 

Emma rolled her eyes. “Nor do I. But I have seen many beautiful things throughout The Four Kingdoms, and I assume you have, as well.”

 

“Hence why the decision to choose only one takes a bit of time.”

 

“You can list more than one. In fact, I encourage it. ‘Twill help us pass the time.”

 

“I generally pass the time by thinking.”

 

“Of?”

 

“Plans. And contingency plans for when the original plans go awry.”

 

“Ah. I think of those things, too. Perhaps you should think out loud sometimes.”

 

Regina quirked a brow. “Well, at the moment I’m thinking of how much I enjoy silence.”

 

“Fortuitous that you have me around, then, to drown out the sound of the birds chirping,” Emma replied, unperturbed, “I’m sure it must drive you mad.”

 

“‘Twas not the birds to which I was referring.”

 

“Ah,” Emma nodded knowingly. “The water, then. Not to worry. This road divulges from the brook shortly, and you won’t be plagued by the babbling any longer.”

 

“If only I could be certain _all_ the babbling would end with the stream.”

 

Emma threw her head back and laughed.

 

“Alright, Regina. You will have your wish. I will keep silent.”

 

They rode on, and no more words were exchanged until they paused to rest the horses and stretch their aching muscles. They ate a short meal of bread and salted meat, discussing their traveling strategy. Regina presented her idea for what they would do if separated, and Emma shared information she had picked up about how to avoid capture by orcs.

 

By the time they were on the road again, Regina was surprised by how long they had been talking. For the rest of the afternoon, they conversed and fell into silence at turns, always discussing orcs or compulsion magic or Therrihan.

 

It was unusual. Nala had usually gone along with Regina’s plans without comment or complaint, letting her take the lead.

 

Emma was not afraid to disagree with her, which was...annoying. But could be potentially helpful. After all, Regina was not infallible, much as she might wish otherwise.

 

Twilight had already descended by the time they reached the peak of a hill and spotted the town in the distance. Her tired muscles hummed in approval, and Regina rubbed the spot in her back that always ached after a long day in the saddle.

 

Emma had not said a word in at least a mile, and the night insects sang back and forth to each other in a song that was strangely lulling.

 

Regina licked her lips.

 

“The Great Cliffs.”

 

Emma said nothing in response, and when Regina looked over, she was smiling.

 

“In north Yalia? In answer to your earlier question, I mean,” Regina continued when Emma made no response. She glanced over to find Emma looking at her, a quizzical smile on her face.

 

“Is something the matter?”

 

“That just isn’t what I would have expected.”

 

“Have you ever been?”

 

“I have not.”

 

“Well, they’re very lovely,” Regina said, and it was such an understatement it felt like a lie. She could still feel the wind whipping her hair and the mist on her cheeks, see the Great Sea stretching on as far as human eyes could comprehend. She had wondered if elves could see farther with their superior vision, if perhaps there was something out there beyond the horizon.

 

She shook the wistful thoughts away. “You should go sometime.”

 

“I will.”

 

She could still feel Emma’s eyes on her, though it could only have been her imagination. She would not look over to check.

 

“What is yours?” she asked, if only to move the attention of the conversation from herself.

 

“The Ashwe Mountains,” Emma replied promptly.

 

“Any particular region?”

 

The range covered most of south Vrizath and descended into Therrihan, after all. It was an odd choice, and Regina was slightly miffed after she had thought her answer over so carefully and chosen one particular area.

 

“Near Fjor. They still have lovely peaks, but they are not nearly as harsh or difficult to climb as the southern region. And there is nothing like a fresh mountain stream after a long journey.”

 

Regina grunted. “Now you’re just making me thirsty.”

 

“Would you like a drink from my pack?”

 

“No, we’re nearly there.”

 

Regina closed her eyes and envisioned the map that she kept in her head with every safe house in The Four Kingdoms. There was only one copy in each kingdom, kept safe with an appointed member, and Regina reviewed it every time she each time she arrived back in Yalia as well as each time she left. The habit had saved her life and the lives of people she had rescued more than once since she had become an emissary three years ago.

 

A few minutes later, Regina spied the house they needed. Just as she was about to indicate so to Emma, the other woman said, “I think this is it.”

 

“Indeed,” Regina agreed, casting Emma an approving glance. She was more than a little bit prepared. Regina found that she was not as surprised by this as she would have been this morning.

 

They pulled their horses to a stop, and Regina jumped down, handing the reins over to Emma to hold while she crept to the front door to confirm their suspicions. She was not in the mood to accidentally knock on the door of the wrong house, necessitating an impromptu story.

 

Thankfully it was not yet fully dark, so she could easily complete her inspection. High on the right side of the doorframe, there was a carving of the symbol of the Four Goddesses, which was not unusual for any house in the The Four Kingdoms. She found the symbol she was searching for on the left, near the bottom: a small, intricate circular pattern that indicated a safe house of the Council.

 

She knocked, and after a moment of scuffling the door opened, and she found herself looking into the friendly face of Gus, a friendly farmer she knew from several Council meetings.

 

They were safe for the night.

 

##

 

The next morning, Regina gave Rocinante one last pat before she left him behind in Gus’s stables. When a quick glance ensure no one was watching, she pressed a quick kiss to his neck.

 

“I will miss you. Be a good boy for Gus while I am away,” she whispered in his ear. He nickered, and Regina sighed.

 

This was why she should not get attached to things.

 

But Rocinante had been her most loyal companion for years, and he was the best horse a woman could ask for. There was no way _not_ to get attached.

 

She passed Emma a couple stalls over, pressing her cheek to Keltainen’s side.She moved to walk on without comment, but Emma caught sight of her. She stood upright, stroking the mare’s mane once more before leaving the stall to join Regina.

 

“I always hate to leave her.”

 

“‘Tis too easy to get attached to horses.”

 

“It is. Much easier than people.”

 

Regina let out a small, startled laugh. “Agreed. But I confess, I would not have expected that statement from someone who stayed up half the night chatting with a man she’d never met before.”

 

“I am friendly, yes,” Emma said, leading the way out of the stables. “But you know people who do what we do cannot afford to grow close to anyone.”

 

Regina sensed this was a deflection, but she would not pry. She was unsure she wanted to reach that depth of discussion with Emma - or anyone, for that matter - and she certainly had no desire to answer should the tables be turned.

 

“So! All packed and ready?” Emma asked. She was carrying a pack strapped to her back, her short sword - she certainly hoped Emma did not expect her to remember the name of a _sword_ \- tied to her belt, and she had produced a walking stick from somewhere.

 

Regina had a very similar pack, but no sword or stick, though she did have a decent-sized hunting knife strapped to her waist, as well as one in her luggage and a smaller one in her boot.

 

“I am.”

 

“You already paid Doc to for keeping the horses?”

 

“I offered, but he would not accept a single clenna. You have your vial?”

 

Emma pulled at the string of leather around her neck and produced the tiny bottle, then tucked it back under her clothes.

 

“And yes, before you ask, I have the tincture in my pack. I put it back after we had our dose this morning, then checked it thrice before I packed the rest of the supplies. You have the dried?”

 

“I do. Let’s be off.”

 

With that, they set off on the road leading south. They would reach Rochwe Pass in only a couple of hours. When the trees parted, she could see the snow-topped Ashwe mountains rising boldly in the horizon. They looked beautiful and majestic from here, but they were high and considered so harsh as to be completely impassable, even in the summer.

 

Emma’s thoughts must have matched her own, for after a few minutes, she said, “If only the mountains weren’t so high in this region.”

 

Regina shrugged. “If the mountains weren’t so high, the orcs would have spread and settled in the hills just as they have in the pass.”

 

Emma hummed, and they lapsed into silence again.

 

The wind rustled through the trees, their footsteps and the birds singing were the only sounds now that they had left the small town behind them.

 

“If you have anything to say, you should get it out now. We won’t be able to say a word once we reach the pass.”

 

Emma laughed. “I am capable of keeping quiet, as you well know.” She paused. “But I certain cannot pass up that invitation. I have an excellent story ready. Would you like the long version or the short version?”

 

Regina merely watched her without shifting her expression.

 

“How about this: I will begin with the very short version, and if you find the story interesting, I will then tell the long version. You should know I am an excellent storyteller.”

 

Regina resisted making a comment about her tongue certainly getting enough practice, only nodding once instead.

 

“Very well. In short, be very careful about your vocabulary when speaking languages in which you are not fluent. Otherwise you might ask someone for assistance in navigation while performing a rescue, and then only after two days of traveling together, find out that he thought you were proposing marriage.”

 

Regina choked on a startled laugh, and Emma grinned over at her.

 

“So, do you wish to hear the whole story?”

 

Regina paused only briefly before capitulating. “If you wish.”

 

“It was only my second mission alone…” she launched into the tale, and Regina had to admit that Emma was correct: she was an excellent storyteller. She told the story with every bit of her body, her hands flung for emphasis, her voice shifting for each character.

 

“The door opened, and after a very confusing exchange, I realized he had taken me back to his home village to meet his _mother_.”

 

“No,” Regina choked on a laugh.

 

“Yes! Thankfully she and I were able to communicate much better than I had with her son. But have you ever tried to tell a man you don’t want to marry him while the conversation is being translated by his mother?”

 

Regina had to cover her mouth with her hand when she very nearly giggled.

 

“I felt terrible! I tried to make it better by saying he was a very sweet man, and I would ask Tiphaete to send him a nice companion. But of course that made it worse, because he decided the misunderstanding must have been her work and _we_ were meant to be together. Then I made it very clear that I would never marry a man because I am only romantically interested in women.” A pleasant heat expanded from Regina’s chest at the words, but she willed it not to spread to her face. “That got through to him. Poor thing was heartbroken but very nice about the whole thing. He even lent me one of his family’s horses, so I could get to the town I needed more quickly. Turns out, it was only an hour’s ride away.

 

“So, really, the story has two morals. One,” she ticked off one finger. “Precise vocabulary and pronunciation are very important. Two,” she held up a second. “Do not ever let your traveling companion fall in love with you. It is tremendously awkward.”

 

“I shall do my best to keep that in mind.”

 

“I do not recommend it at all. In fact, promise me you won’t fall in love with me, Regina.”

 

Regina snorted, even as the words faintly trilled up her insides in a way she thoroughly ignored. She was three and twenty years old, and she would not fall for a woman just because she was pretty and told funny stories. And also happened to be another woman who preferred the company of women.

 

“I’ll try to avoid it,” she said, her voice dripping in playful sarcasm.

 

“See that you do.”

 

There was another opening in the trees, and the mountains loomed even taller. Regina could not even see the top of some of them anymore, obscured by clouds. Thankfully, the clouds were light and fluffy, no indication of bad weather in sight. She had no desire to be caught in the rain and have to seek shelter once they were in Rochwe Pass. The plan was to travel through as quickly and quietly as possible, avoiding all roads and settlements. The previous day, they had discussed the possibility of traveling by night, but decided that since it would not be safe to travel on the roads, even at night, daylight would probably be a safer choice. Otherwise they risked unnecessary injury, as well as the fact that they would make more noise trying to navigate in the darkness, which would likely lead to them being discovered.

 

And being discovered would quickly lead to death, which would greatly hinder their ability of be of any use to Princess Jacinda and the kingdom of Therrihan.

 

Soon enough, they reached a large clearing at the top of a foothill containing the sign that indicated the intersection of the kingdoms, three arrows pointing in different directions. Yalia to the east, Vrizath to the west, and Therrihan to the south.

 

While Therrihan technically began here, it was also the beginning of what was known as Orc Territory, a wide isthmus region claimed by the orcs many years before. It was only a few miles across, with The Great Sea on the west and the Midarryn Sea on the east. The Ashwe Mountains began at the base, springing almost directly out of the Great Sea and straight up into the sky, harsh and impossible to pass. There were dense trees at the foot of the mountains, then an open area termed Rochwe Pass that continued to the coast of the Midarryn. Before the orcs settled, people had been able to travel easily from Therrihan to the two northern kingdoms. There was still a road through the pass, only day’s ride on horseback. But in present times, one did not simply ride into Rochwe Pass. Not if one wanted to remain in possession of one’s own flesh.

 

She and Emma would travel through base of the mountain and hope that the trees and boulders yielded enough cover for safe passage. Regina muttered a quick prayer to Taana for safety, touching the small pendant she always wore around her neck. It was a common trinket, had only cost her three clenna at the market, and she had carved the symbol of the Council on the flat side, to serve as a wordless marker if she ever needed one.

 

“Here we go,” Emma whispered.

 

Together, they stepped off the path.


	2. Chapter 2

Regina spotted her first orc after they had been on the move for only a few hours.

 

She stumbled to halt immediately, grabbing silently for Emma’s arm. The blonde stopped alongside her, following Regina’s gaze to the threat.

 

The orc was at least thirty or forty feet away, on the other side of the treeline, but Regina could see it well enough to determine that it was enormous. The hulking creature had grey-blue skin, and it was covered in muck, its porcine tusks too dirty to glint in the sunlight but drawing Regina’s attention nonetheless. Then her eyes caught on the large hunting knife in his hand.

 

She swallowed, her mouth as dry as a desert, but she would not move a single muscle to reach for her waterskin.

 

After what seemed like an eternity, it finally lumbered away from them, and Regina slowly released her breath. Only then did she realize she had been clutching Emma’s arm the entire time, and she dropped it immediately.

 

 _Sorry_ , she mouthed, but Emma just waved her off.

 

She would have believed the casual act, except that Emma’s face was devoid of all color, and Regina imagined she probably looked nearly as bloodless.

 

They stood still for another minute, looking around in all directions for any more orcs. Regina’s ears straining for the sound of pounding footsteps, as though she could hear anything over the wild thrumming of her heart in her chest.

 

Nothing.

 

Finally, she tentatively took a step forward, looking to Emma to make sure the other woman agreed. Emma gave a short nod and began moving along with her.

 

They moved more slowly than they had before, with more caution. The terrain was uneven, with several hills that made her calves ache, but the forest cover remained dense and therefore safe. Eventually, they built the courage to move at a slightly quicker pace again, still careful not to make any sounds. Regina flinched any time she accidentally snapped a stick that had been concealed by leaves. Once, Emma’s foot discovered a hidden roost, causing a bird to explode in a whirl of flapping brown feathers, disappearing over their heads and into the trees.

 

When she looked over, Emma was laughing silently, and Regina glared at her. She shook her head inquiringly, and Emma pointed at her, then threw her eyes and mouth wide open in an utterly melodramatic fashion.

 

Regina glared harder.

 

She tried to stalk away while remaining silent, but it was remarkably unsatisfactory.

 

They crept on for hours more, only pausing for the shortest of breaks for food and personal needs, and three times for orc sightings. All of them were terrifying creatures, clothed in crude fur garments, and Regina watched one of them snap a rabbit’s neck with its huge bare hands no more than fifteen feet away from where she and Emma were concealed behind the leaves.

 

Neither of them had wanted to linger after that.

 

Sometime midday a large orc settlement appeared in the distance, and they moved deeper into the trees, keeping every sense alert for threats at all times.

 

Eventually Regina heard the mountain stream that marked their stopping place for the night. Less than half a mile later, it came into view, larger than she had imagined, crystal clear and at least twenty feet across. They halted when trees came to an end, a ways shy of the water, revealing a wide area with absolutely nothing to provide cover.

 

Neither of them had seen an orc in a while, but the orcs would need hydration, too. The possibility of encountering one was too great to simply waltz out into the open and hope for the best. They also had no way across the stream. It was moving too rapidly to attempt swimming, and while there were a few stray boulders peeking out here and there, they were not close enough to form anything like a path.

 

The only good thing about the clearing was that she could finally check the sun. Due to the thickness of the forest, it had been difficult to get an accurate reading of it before, but they still easily had a couple hours of daylight left. They had made much better time than anticipated.

 

Emma gently touched her shoulder, and when Regina looked her way, she pointed upstream, indicating that they should move closer to the mountain. Regina nodded. Together, they turned and crept east, keeping close enough to the treeline that they would be able to see if there was a good place to cross, but not so close as to be easily spotted by anyone on the other side.

 

The stream was loud enough that they were able to walk without too much concern for noise, but Regina was still careful to keep watch for danger.

 

They walked for so long that they had to be nearing the base of the mountain, and Regina was beginning to worry there would be no passing in this direction. There must be a bridge or passable portion out in the open terrain nearer the Midarryn, but they had no way to get to it. She blew out a frustrated breath and strained her eyes, searching for a way over.

 

Just as she was losing hope, the stream curved slightly and grew a little more narrow, with rock formations of various shapes and sizes jutting out all over the surface.

 

Emma saw it, too, and they shared a relieved glance, moving toward the stream immediately.

 

The area surrounding the water was just as bare as it had been further downstream, but they were much further from the orc encampment now, and the bend prevented anyone seeing them from that direction.

 

Emma was already bending down to remove her shoes, and Regina followed suit.

 

Regina finished removing her boots first and stepped out into the stream. The first boulder was freezing cold, and slippery. She had expected it, but the wet moss made it very difficult to find a strong foothold. Finally, she found a good positioning, steadied herself, and moved to the next rock. Again and again, she continued in this manner until she was nearly at the edge. The final rock was a huge slab, several feet long, and she would easily be able to reach the far bank from it.

 

The only problem was reaching the rock itself.

 

It had looked like an easy path when she had been standing on the other side, but Regina had not realized just how wide the gap between the final two rocks was. She eyed it warily, gazing at the rushing water between her feet and her goal. A quick glance around showed there were really no better options, so she took a breath and leapt, both feet finding the final slab. A sense of relief swept over her, but too soon, for as she shifted to regain her balance, her back foot slipped. Distantly, she heard Emma emit a strangled gasp - or maybe that was her - and then she was falling, her leg plunging into the ice cold water behind her as she attempted to throw herself forward.

 

It was over in a moment. She was safe, in a heap on the slimy rock, one leg in the water and the other bent awkwardly underneath her. She breathed in a few calming breaths, waiting for the panic to subside so she could take stock of the pain. She would definitely have a few bruises, and a smarting pain in her left leg indicated that there would be blood when she pulled it from the water.

 

She got up and crossed to the bank on shaky legs, moving immediately to the treeline where she could sit down.

 

Sure enough, she had a long, jagged cut along the bottom half of her shin, blood mixing with water and making a particularly grotesque sight.

 

Regina unstrapped her pack from her back to find her medical supplies. She was retrieving the pot of salve when Emma sat down beside her and immediately began to inspect the bloody gash on her leg.

 

“Are you alright?” she asked softly, her voice just audible over the stream.

 

Regina nodded, keeping her voice low. “I don’t think it is very deep. The water makes it look worse than it is.”

 

“You nearly gave me a heart attack.”

 

“Yes, I cannot imagine how that must have felt,” Regina muttered wryly, pulling a clean strip of linen from her pack.

 

After a quick check of their surroundings, Emma hurried back to the water to wet the cloth. She returned it, then went to refill their waterskins while Regina cleaned and bandaged her wound.

 

When she stood again, her trousers were wet, she was in pain, the sun was beginning to set, and they still had to find a place to rest for the night.

 

But it could have been much worse. She could have hit her head or been swept downstream and spotted by an orc. And at least they were already close to the mountain, which increased their chances of finding a cave where they could make camp.

 

After only a short time searching, Emma found a large indentation at the base of the mountain that would provide excellent shelter. The top jutted out around Regina’s shoulder level, but underneath there was plenty of room for two people to sleep. Best of all, it was concealed by several scrubby bushes and had openings on both ends. If they were discovered, they would have a better chance of escaping.

 

The remaining daylight was spent covering the last portion of their tracks and quietly searching for dead branches and leaves to further disguise their shelter.

 

With no light other than the moon, it was utterly black in their makeshift cave, so they sat just outside the opening to eat their dinner. After finishing the lean meal, Emma proffered the bottle of tincture, and Regina took a sip, unable to stop a grimace as the bitter taste swept over her taste buds. It was no wonder no one grew this herb; it truly was awful.

 

After a whispered consultation, they decided Emma would keep watch for the first half of the night and Regina for the second. Emma positioned herself in a sitting position just inside the front opening of their shelter, and Regina made quick work of preparing her bedroll and burrowing under her cloak. The temperature shifted quickly here, and she could already feel the chill in the air after having grown accustomed to the warmth of the day.

 

She drifted off quickly with the sound of night owls lulling her to sleep, only to wake up some time later to find Emma shuffling around. The cold air bit at her cheeks.

 

“Is it time?” she murmured.

 

“No, you’ve another hour yet.” Emma paused. “Would you mind- I thought I could move closer, and we could share the blanket.”

 

Regina made no answer, simply scooted closer to Emma and offered edge of the blanket. Emma gratefully drew it over her legs, and Regina flattened back onto the ground, her back to Emma’s thigh.

 

“Thank you,” came the quiet whisper, and Regina hummed under her breath, dropping back into sleep.

 

The second time she woke, it was to Emma shaking her shoulder.

 

She was awake in an instant, hand on her dagger, ready to grab her pack and run, but Emma only said, “Time to switch.”

 

Gamely, Regina switched positions with her, grateful for the cloak around her shoulders as she settled back against the rock. Emma settled onto the bedroll and burrowing against Regina’s legs the same way she had done. She could feel the iciness of the other woman’s arms even through the material of her trouser legs.

 

Regina drew the blanket over the both of them and heard Emma sigh. She intentionally dropped her right arm onto the edge of her leg where it just touched Emma’s, lending her a little more body heat. Then she turned her gaze to the night and began to keep watch.

 

##

 

The sky began to lighten when she had been awake for no longer than an hour. Regina closed her eyes, certain it must be a trick of her mind. But when she opened them again, the bit of dusky sky she could see still seemed tinged with grey. A few minutes later, there was no denying it. The sky was even lighter, and the chirps of the morning birds began to replace the sounds of the night.

 

Regina placed a hand on Emma’s shoulder. The other woman snapped awake, immediately propping herself up into half-sitting position, but Regina shook her head slightly.

 

“Morning,” she whispered.

 

They gathered their things, ate a handful of nuts, and took their tincture.

 

One day, Regina thought, she might be able to swallow it without wanting to spit it back out first.

 

She climbed out of the structure and stretched with a great yawn. Her right leg ached where she had fallen on it the day before, but the pain was dull and easily manageable.

 

When they were on the move again, Regina murmured, “Why did you let me sleep?”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Your watch. You stayed awake nearly the entire night.”

 

“What can I say?” she whispered back lightly. “I am a terrible judge of time.”

 

She was also a terrible liar, but Regina only pressed her lips together, vowing to continue the conversation later.

 

They continued on in the manner of the day before, with alert eyes and cautious feet, first moving further downstream, then continuing on south. If they held the same pace as the day before, they should reach the end of orc territory by the late afternoon.

 

Regina could not wait.

 

She was used to danger, as much as a person could be. She had to outrun and outwit others constantly in her occupation. But this infuriatingly slow pace, this constant strain of the senses, while the threat of a violent death lurked around every corner? It was enough to drive her mad.

 

But she did the only thing she could, moving one foot in front of the other, leading the way while Emma followed just behind.

 

They only passed a single orc that morning, a safe distance away. Regina prayed that they all tended to stay close to the encampment they had passed the day before. Maybe the rumors of them taking up the entirety of Rochwe Pass were an overstatement.

 

She would not believe it, for safety’s sake, but she could hope.

 

Around late morning, they came upon another mountain spring, much smaller than the one they had encountered the day before. It ran directly through the trees, as though it simply carved its own path and wandered where it may.

 

The water tasted just as crisp and delicious when she bent to scoop it into her mouth, and she brought some to her face as well, letting it cool her overwarmed skin.

 

Taking a breath, Regina paused, looking further upstream to see if she could spot anything that would make for a safe passing. A fallen log was a possibility when it ran this close to the trees, or even a long root or rock formation.

 

When she looked back, Emma was already wading in, her shoes clutched in her hands and trouser legs rolled up to the thigh.

 

Regina bit back a protest

 

It would not do for one of them to be seriously injured, and while the spring looked small and harmless, there could always be hidden depths-

 

Emma reached the other side in a few seconds, the water only deep enough to dampen an inch of her folded trousers.

 

Well. This time it had paid to be reckless, apparently.

 

She removed her shoes, and by the time she met Emma on the other side, the other woman had spotted a gleccaberry bush and was happily picking the plump, fuchsia berries and popping them into her mouth one by one. She rolled her eyes at Emma, mouthing the word _child_ and refusing the berry when Emma offered one.

 

Instead, she unrolled her trouser legs and dried her feet as best she could before retying her boots.

 

They set off again, stopping only once for the noon meal, Regina’s steps growing lighter with the knowledge that they were only a few short hours away from safety.

 

The only thing she regretted was not stopping to at least have one of those gleccaberries. They were summer berries, perfectly in season, sure to burst against her tongue with that unique, tangy sweetness. She tried to imagine it, but her mouth just felt dry.

 

She took a swig from her waterskin, refocusing on her surroundings. She could think of gleccaberries later. Perhaps she would dream of them, of a pie made from them with a flaky, golden crust and-

 

Regina’s revelry was interrupted when Emma moved up to fall into step beside her and produced a white handkerchief mottled with spots of bright pink.

 

With three gleccaberries sitting squarely in the middle.

 

It was as though Regina’s mind had produced them out of thin air and Emma had brought them to her.

 

She gaped, turning to acknowledge - and without a doubt accept, as she was not so stubborn as to refuse - the offering, only to be met with Emma’s wide grin. Regina held back a startled laugh at the sight, the other woman’s lips stained a vivid magenta and teeth only a few shades lighter.

 

Emma gave her the handkerchief, and Regina placed the first berry onto her tongue, closing her eyes for a moment so she could fully enjoy the flavor as it burst in her mouth.

 

It was ten times better than it had been in her imagination.

 

She savored the berry as long as she could, then swallowed, popping another into her mouth as they continued trekking silently through the forest. Regina chewed slowly, letting the sweet-sour flavor coat every part of her mouth. She knew her teeth would look just as discolored as Emma’s, but she did not care in the least.

 

She placed the third and final berry on her tongue as they rounded a particularly large trunk.

 

And came face-to-chest with an orc.

 

The lucious tang turned to ash in her mouth, and her heart stopped in an instant.

 

The creature was at least two heads taller than she, tusks as large as her hand, and it was even filthier up close, the putrid scent clogging her nostrils.

 

Or maybe that was from the remains of the dead deer that lay at its feet, next to a huge double-sided axe that was covered in crimson and brown muck.

 

Her stomach turned in disgust and fear, but they had planned for this. She turned to flee in one direction, praying that Emma remembered she was to run in the other.

 

After precisely twenty paces, Regina glanced behind. Her heart gave a wild thump of relief when she realized she wasn’t being followed, and she gritted her teeth in determination when she changed directions and charged back toward the sounds crashing through the forest away from her.

 

She unsheathed her hunting knife while she ran, and there was a terrible growl and a roar that sounded very much like the word “FLESH!”

 

It echoed through the forest, and Regina pumped her legs harder. Finally, Emma and the orc came into view, the blonde still in the lead. But the orc was gaining, and it held the axe.

 

Regina moved the hunting knife to her left hand, and in one fluid motion, she slammed to a halt, bending to slide the smaller dagger out of the hidden sheath in her right boot. She took a breath, aimed, and threw, the dagger whistling through the air.

 

It struck true, directly in the center of the orc’s left knee. It bellowed and crashed to the ground, and Regina’s legs were moving again, her hunting knife back in her good hand.

 

But Emma was closer, and she pivoted, brandishing the sword before thrusting it into the orc’s chest.

 

Regina arrived less than a second later, halting near the orc’s head, ready to slit its throat if necessary.

 

But it gave no further movements, the final snarl still curling its lips, the huge, filthy axe on the ground at its side. Emma yanked her sword from the orc’s flesh, and thick black liquid oozed from the wound, nearly making Regina gag.

 

“And that,” Emma said, “is why I always carry a sword.”

 

Regina only rolled her eyes, her heart still thumping hard in her chest. Grimacing, she lifted the orc’s leg so she could retrieve her dagger.

 

Together, they made their way back to the spot where they had first spotted the orc. Emma picked up the handkerchief Regina had dropped, using it to clean off her blade. Regina did not want to waste any of her linen, so she merely wiped her dagger on the grass several times before tucking it back into her boot.

 

A distant thumping caught her attention, and she and Emma locked eyes, her blood turning to ice. This was more sound than the one orc had made. This was at least two if not more.

 

“ _Run_!” she whispered fiercely, and Emma needed no reminder. They took off east toward the mountain, and Regina hoped against hope that they were far enough ahead that the orcs would not be able to hear them.

 

It was not to be, the crashing sounds growing gradually louder as the orcs followed after them, slowly gaining. One gave a growl, followed by two others.

 

Three. Three orcs.

 

They would never face them and come out alive. They would have to find a place to hide.

 

Thankfully Emma was a quick runner, even though Regina was faster. They picked up the pace, nearing the mountain with every step. The terrain grew rockier and more uneven, making speed difficult and leaving them with less cover, but they were still far enough in front of the orcs that they were not yet in grave danger.

 

To her left, there was a large rock formation that grew parallel to the mountain, almost touching it.

 

Almost.

 

There was a crevice, possibly wide enough to hide them. She ran toward it, Emma following behind without hesitating.

 

The space was narrow, but they were both able to squeeze in with some maneuvering, and it was tall enough that their heads would not be visible.

 

Regina attempted to control her breathing as she listened. The orcs were easy to hear, thundering past their hiding place less than a minute after they’d taken cover.

 

She let out a sigh of relief, then began plotting possible solutions. They could not stay here. The crevice was small and had been ideally located for quick cover, but it was still open on both sides. They would be easily spotted if the orcs decided to search for them.

 

Emma turned her head and mouthed _hide_ with her eyebrows raised, and Regina nodded.

 

Emma gradually stuck her head out of the crevice, looking around. She moved back, then shrugged at Regina.

 

Regina’s heart sank.

 

The orcs might turn around any minute when they realized they had lost them.

 

She looked up at the sky, a placid blue despite all the turmoil happening below it, and said a quick prayer to Taana, pressing her fingers to her medallion.

 

She gasped and felt for Emma’s hand on her other side. When she had her attention, Regina pointed up at the sloped mountain face above them. It leaned in just slightly, and she could see an opening above them. It would normally be too high to even consider, but if they could find a way to climb on top of the rock formation that was hiding them, they might be able to reach it.

 

Emma shuffled out quickly, Regina following behind her. They circled to the other side of the huge boulder. It did not seem any easier from this side, but at least they would not be immediately visible if the orcs had turned around. Regina crouched and latched her hands together, and Emma caught on immediately. She placed her foot in Regina’s hands, and Regina boosted her up. Emma grappled for a few moments but then caught a hold, and she disappeared on top of the rock. Regina cheered silently, and Emma reached a hand down for her. Regina found the best foothold she could, and through sheer determination, she made it to the top. They stayed flat against the rocks, watching for orcs, but there were none yet.

 

Cautiously, Regina stood. Sure enough, the opening was only slightly above chest height, and she was easily able to pull herself up. It was deep enough for the both of them. There was a large nest covered in cobwebs, clearly the former home of some mountain bird.

 

She shoved it out, carefully dropping it into the crevice blow where it would be hidden. As she did, she heard the tell-tale crash of the orcs getting closer again.

 

Her heart picked up speed, and she grabbed Emma’s hand and helped hoist her into the hole.

 

The area was not quite long enough for them to lay flat, so instead, they pressed as far back as they could.

 

They listened as the orcs thundered past again. Soon after, there was a sound like scuffling. One yelled, “SEARCH!” and the others roared.

 

Emma applied the tiniest bit of pressure to her hand - because at some point, she had apparently grabbed it - and Regina squeezed back.

 

They were hidden as well as they possibly could be, and they would have the high ground if the orcs somehow spotted them.

 

The orcs searched, gradually growing quieter as they realized they had likely lost their prey. They seemed to have split off, searching in different directions.

 

Eventually, minutes passed without hearing any orcs stalking around in front of their tiny hidden cove. Regina’s back and ass both screamed at her to move, frightfully unamused at being pressed to cold, unyielding rock for so long. Finally, when the sun began to set, casting brilliant hues of golden coral across the sky, Regina dared to move. She crept to the edge, peeking out but seeing nothing that presented a threat.

 

In fact, the sight was stunning.

 

She scooted further back in where Emma was stretching, twisting first to one side and then the other.

 

“Stay here for the night?” she asked in a whisper.

 

“Seems like it,” Emma responded. It was too late to travel now. They would never make it out of orc territory before complete darkness, and she had no desire to stumble around the woods in the dark.

 

They unpacked their bedrolls, the opening so small that they overlapped. There was not much left to do in the space, but the sunset turned everything such beautiful colors that it had a calming energy. It was nearly peaceful enough to make Regina forget they had been in grave danger only a short time ago.

 

Almost.

 

They chewed the saltmeat and crackers and took the tincture and settled in for the night. When it was time to sleep, Regina tugged her cloak around her shoulders and automatically put the blanket over both of them.

 

“I will take the first watch again,” Emma muttered, propping her head up on her hand.

 

Regina shook her head. “Absolutely not. Not if you do what you did last night.”

 

“I won’t. You have my word.”

 

“Good. It was stupid. You need your strength just as much as I do. Now, go to sleep.”

 

She sensed more than saw Emma’s shoulders move in a shrug, but she said nothing more.

 

Tomorrow, they would be free and able to talk about anything.

 

Not that she wanted to talk.

 

But even Emma’s ramblings, she supposed, would be better than this constant jeopardy-induced silence. In fact, if she were being honest with herself, she enjoyed talking to Emma quite a bit.

 

Regina shook her head at the thought. Nonsense. Perhaps this eoranth was impacting her thoughts as well.

 

##

 

In the morning when she awoke, the first thing Regina noticed was the screaming of her bladder. She checked the surrounding area for threats, just for safety’s sake, but finding nothing, she was quick to climb down and resolve her problem. When she returned, Emma was retrieving her tooth powder from her pack, and Regina decided that would be an excellent idea. She had not planned on doing so until they reached Therrihan, but her teeth felt rather more furry than she could stand.

 

A quick tooth brushing out of the way, they packed up their things and were on the move before the early morning mist had fully dissolved.

 

They were extra careful for the first leg of their journey, setting a pace so slow Regina felt like a tortoise could have kept up with them, with no magic required at all. Gradually, after no signs of orcs had been spotted in a good chunk of time, they increased their pace.

 

By the time the woods began to clear and they could see the southern coast of the Midarryn, they had not encountered another orc.

 

Now that they no longer had shelter, Regina was grateful they had saved their energy. They ran the remainder of the way, over completely open terrain. By the time they passed the southern border of the Midarryn, the unofficial end of Orc Territory, Regina was panting. Her legs tingled and her throat ached, but it was worth it. They had made it.

 

Now, to save Therrihan.


	3. Chapter 3

Once they crossed the unofficial border out of orc territory and into Therrihan, Regina breathed a sigh of relief.

 

They still had a ways to go before they would hit the next town. Whereas Yalia and Vrizath were both agriculture-supported kingdoms and had a lot of smaller towns spread out across the land, Therrihan’s wealth came from its coltspar mines. While there were a few independent settlements here and there, the vast majority of the population lived in larger towns surrounding the mines.

 

Then there was Khemre, the capital and easily the largest city in the kingdom.

 

The next town they should hit would be Vleim, where they would acquire horses. After that, Therrihan would only be a two day ride away.

 

Even though orcs had never been known to stray from their territory - they seemed to have no desire to expand their domain, though they did not like it being invaded - Regina still had a difficult time convincing herself they were out of danger. The only change that was nearly immediate was their pace. Not only were they in a hurry to get to Khemre, but every step meant that the orcs were further behind them. Still, Rochwe Pass was an hour behind them before either dared to speak a word. Emma was, of course, the first one to break the silence, her voice slightly rusty from disuse.

 

“Well, that was an experience.”

 

Regina emitted a startled bark of laughter. “That is certainly one way to put it. Let me try another: I’m extremely glad we will be taking the ship on the return journey. And I _always_ get seasick.”

 

“I am only glad I kept my strength. I have to admit, the witch had me worried. How are you feeling?”

 

“Not any different than usual.”

 

“How’s the leg?”

 

Regina shrugged. “It is healing. ‘Twill be another scar to add to my collection soon enough.”

 

She watched as Emma’s left hand absently came over to rub her right wrist, still covered by her loose white tunic, and almost bit her tongue. She found herself

 

“So, you aren’t feeling any different either?”

 

“Not that I’ve noticed.”

 

“Well, keep me apprised. I have no desire to drag your unconscious body all over Therrihan after you’ve collapsed from exhaustion,” Regina said lightly, disguising real concern with a light tone.

 

“Understood.”

 

They made good time, not only out of danger of discovery, but also now able to travel upon an actual road. While it was unfortunately not particularly straight and rather winding, it was a vast improvement over the uneven foothill terrain. It also ran along the coast of the Midarryn, which provided a nice breeze to offset the increasingly uncomfortable warmth. They walked the entire day until sundown, then made camp quickly and quietly, with the expertise of two people who have spent more than their share of time traveling. They even had freshly roasted meat, courtesy of Emma’s sword.

 

“I told you, her name is Aella.”

 

“I’m not calling your sword by a name.”

 

“You’ll hurt her feelings.”

 

“That is a risk I am willing to take.”

 

“I’m sorry, baby,” Emma crooned to her sword. “She just doesn’t appreciate you.”

 

Regina merely shook her head in exasperation, turning back to her food. She reached for the tincture after she was finished, downing a sip as instructed. With the taste it left behind, she may as well have just finished a meal of ash and weeds rather than her first freshly cooked food in days.

 

“Do you think it would be better to take it before the meal?” Emma asked, wincing as she swallowed hers. “Or would it just ruin the flavor of anything we ate after?”

 

“It certainly could not be any worse. Maybe we should try it tomorrow”

 

“Excellent.”

 

Emma took a swig from her waterskin and swished the water around her mouth.

 

“It is _rancid_. This stuff better work.”

 

Regina’s fingers went to the vial still tied around her neck, warmed by her own body heat.

 

“It will,” she said with more surety than she actually felt. “I know it.”

 

##

 

They rose with the sun with the next morning after a full night’s rest for both of them, as there was no need to keep watch anymore. As soon as Regina ensured that their campfire was completely extinguished, they were on the road again.

 

Vleim came into view early in the afternoon, and Regina almost cheered. Instead, she quickened her pace slightly, and Emma groaned.

 

“Just because I’m not on my deathbed yet doesn’t mean you have to set an insane pace.”

 

A sarcastic rejoinder jumped to her tongue, but one word stopped her short. “Yet? Are you still feeling alright?”

 

Emma paused, but only for a brief moment. “I’m fine.”

 

“That does not sound convincing,” Regina replied, frowning as she surveyed Emma from head to toe.

 

The woman looked about the same as Regina probably did: outfit a little ragged, hair in need of a wash. She didn’t seem pale or sickly, but she did have small blueish circles under her eyes that were worrying.

 

“Nothing to be concerned about. I think the tincture has affected my stamina a little.”

 

Regina consciously slowed her pace until it dropped back to a normal rate.

 

Emma did not protest, which said more about her state than her words had. Regina only hoped that she would not grow any worse. As accustomed as she was of going on missions alone, there was no possibility she would be able to face this one on her own. She needed Emma.

 

And for that matter, she had grown to be...if not exactly be fond of the woman, she did not want her gone any longer, at any rate. They were going to face this evil together, and they were going to defeat it.

 

When they reached Vleim, however, they immediately reached a setback.

 

“I’m so sorry, miss. He moved nigh on a year ago.”

 

Regina bit her tongue and forced herself to smile at the woman.

 

“‘Tis alright. I thank you for your time.”

 

Graham had been the only member in Therrihan along their journey, and he should have been caring for two horses that were for Council business. But not only was he nowhere to be found, neither were the horses.

 

Which left them with dilemma.

 

“Do you have enough to hire horses?” Emma asked.

 

“Yes. But it will definitely leave us quite tight on funds once we reach Khemre.”

 

“I have some to tide us over while we’re there. Besides, we cannot afford to walk. That would leave Therrihan in danger for at least an extra day, if not two.”

 

Really, they had no choice. They immediately went to see about hiring horses.

 

“Four laaram,” said the tall, bespectacled man in charge of the stables.

 

Regina frowned. That was rather steep, but she could certainly talk him down a bit.

 

“Four laaram? Sir, I’ve seen your horses. One could argue that price would be worth four of them, rather than two.”

 

“I meant four laaram each. If you be wantin’ two, that’ll be eight.”

 

Regina gaped. She would have walked right out the door, except this town was so tiny it was unlikely there would be any other options.

 

“That is plain thievery. I could nearly buy a new horse for that much.”

 

The man shrugged, having the decency to look chastened. “I know. I’m sorry. But with the new taxes, I cannot afford to let them go for anything less. People don’t travel much here, and I have to make a living.”

 

Emma glanced over at her, Regina met her gaze knowingly. She must have noticed it, too.

 

“Taxes?” Emma asked casually.

 

The man’s brows knitted. “Right. The king’s decree last month? Taxes multiplied for everyone?”

 

Emma shook her head.

 

“You two must not be from around here.”

 

“No, we’re traveling. From Caezia,” Emma said, and Regina admired how smoothly she lied. Nonchalant, with just enough detail, but keeping it simple. She could not have done it better.

 

“Ah. Well, I hope you have better luck over there. My cousin lives up in Khemre, and when he writes, he talks about how wonderful the king is. But everyone around here has grown to hate his guts. He has done nothing but raise taxes and ignore our problems for a year.”

 

“I’m sorry,” Regina said, but the man shrugged.

 

“Nothing to be done. How about this. I’ll let the pair of ‘em go for seven. How’s that?”

 

Regina stuck out her hand, and the man shook it.

 

“You have a deal.”

 

##

 

It had taken more haggling, but for an extra laaram, the man had been persuaded to let them go without a guide accompanying them. All they had to to was take an oath that they would return the horses to the man’s cousin’s stable in Khemre within the week.

 

They reached next town over before stopping for the night.

 

There were no council members near their track until they hit Khemre, so they stayed at a small inn. There was a fancier one on the other side of the small town, but the horses had cost twice what she had estimated, and Regina had only brought limited funds on the journey.

 

Still, the stew was hot and the bread fresh, if a little burnt. To save money, they paid for only one room and shared the single straw mattress in the middle of it.

 

Regina woke with Emma’s hand warm at her hip.

 

She remained still for a few moments, partially deciding what to do and partially attempting to ignore how nice Emma’s hand felt against her. How natural. It felt like her touch filled a very specific need Regina had not even been aware of until just this moment. She railed internally against the thought. She rarely even liked to be touched, unless it was by someone she trusted. She supposed it was natural that she would trust Emma after having traveled this far together. But anything else? That was out of the question.

 

Carefully, she removed Emma’s hand back to her side of the bed, stood, and stretched. She moved to wash her face in the bowl of water provided by the inn. She felt filthy and longed for a full bath and change of clothes, but that would have to hold off until they reached Khemre. She had only one spare outfit, and there was no reason to get it as filthy as the one she was already wearing.

 

Emma stirred, and Regina went out into the hallway to give her a little privacy while she awoke and attended to her morning needs.

 

After Emma joined her for a quick morning meal, they rode hard, only stopping to rest their horses.

 

By the time it grew dark, Regina’s legs were ready to fall off, and when she slid off the stallion, she nearly collapsed.

 

Damn it.

 

The tincture must be affecting her, too.

 

She would have been tired and sore after a long day of riding, certainly. But not this bone-deep exhaustion. She did not even want to waste the energy to build a fire, and Emma agreed.

 

Instead, they shared the last of the bread Emma had taken from the inn that morning, along with the usual saltmeat.

 

She didn’t even mind the taste of the eoranth as she swallowed the tincture, not even grimacing. All she could think of was her bedroll and how tantalizing it looked spread on the ground next to Emma’s.

 

The blonde seemed to agree, covering a giant yawn when Regina handed the tincture over to her.

 

“I agree,” she said, and then climbed down into bed and slept.

 

She felt perfectly fine again the next morning, refreshed and ready for more traveling, almost as though the previous night’s exhaustion hadn’t even happened. But Regina knew it had, and she hoped that the tiredness would not grow any worse. She was accustomed to having endurance and strength that would make any warrior weep with envy.

 

The good news was that they should reach Khemre at some point today, if her estimations proved correct, as they had so far.

 

“How did you get started with the Council?” Emma asked after they set off down the road.

 

Emma’s question was surprisingly personal, but Regina did not mind.

 

Regina lifted a single shoulder. “‘Tis a long story.”

 

Emma gestured to the open road ahead of them. “Shame there is so much happening to keep you from telling it.”

 

“How did you?”

 

Emma winked. “Also a long story.”

 

“I ran away from home,” Regina started, skipping over the more difficult part of her tale. “I wound up working as a barmaid in Granny’s Tavern for a while. A lot of Council business happens there. One day, one of them asked if I would like to be involved, and it escalated from there. Within months, I went from passing messages in a code I did not understand to being an emissary.”

 

“Do you like this better?”

 

Regina scoffed. “Than being a barmaid? Hmm. Life on my own terms, excitement, and making a difference, or being stuck in the same place night after night, forced to listen to drunks ramble on about themselves?” Regina tapped a finger against her chin as though she were deep in thought.

 

Emma laughed. “Right. Stupid question.”

 

Regina looked her way. “So?”

 

“So?”

 

“I shared my long story. What’s yours?”

 

“I was rescued by a Council member, actually. When I asked her what she did, I knew immediately I wanted to do it, too. I was already strong, and I had my own horse. It was perfect.”

 

“Do you ever…” Regina trailed off. While they were sharing stories, they hadn’t exactly shared everything. Emma had been rescued from _what_ , exactly? And Regina certainly had not volunteered that she had run away from home after her father had died and her mother had grown increasingly more abusive.

 

“Do I what?”

 

“Do you ever wonder what you’ll do after? Or do you plan to keep doing this until you can’t anymore?” Which was a delicate way of saying, _until you die_.

 

Emma thought for a second before she answered. “I really don’t know. I enjoy it. I like rescuing people and making a difference. But I also know that eventually I probably won’t be able to do it well anymore. Hopefully by then I’ll have an idea of what else I might want to do.”

 

It may have been Regina’s imagination, but she looked almost wistful for the tiniest moment, before she was grinning again.

 

“What about you? You have someone back in Yalia wanting you to retire early?” Emma asked, gesturing vaguely at her.

 

“Wha-” Regina paused and glanced down. “Oh!” She chuckled, twisting the plain gold band that encircled her ring finger. “No. Not at all. I just wear this to keep men from trying to talk to me for any reasons other than business. I tend to forget I’m wearing it.”

 

Emma laughed loudly. “That is brilliant.”

 

“It certainly makes nights at taverns much more enjoyable.”

 

“Really? I myself am quite fond of the occasional ‘enjoyable’ night at a tavern with the right company.

 

Regina felt herself flush, but she rolled her eyes to cover it. “I meant, when I am trying to eat alone. I don’t tend to be bothered as much when I’m wearing the ring.”

 

“Well, I might just follow your example. I certainly have no need of men trying to make my tavern nights ‘enjoyable’ either.” There was a glint of something in Emma’s eyes that made Regina’s chest ache in a pleasant way. The conversation faded, but she couldn’t stop herself from glancing over at Emma, just once.

 

The other woman was facing the road, apparently lost in thought, and Regina shook her head to clear her thoughts.

 

They were only hours from Khemre, and there were more details to be worked out.

 

“So, once we reach Khemre, I think we should…”

 

They fell into planning once more. It was all entirely hypothetical until they could appraise the actual situation, but it made Regina feel more prepared. And the closer they got to the capital, the more nervous she grew. The only good thing that came from the weakness she and Emma were facing, was the fact that she knew the herb had taken hold. She could only pray it was as strong and certain as Zelena had claimed.

 

##

 

They reached Khemre not long after sunset.

 

Unlike the small clusters of villages they had passed along the way through Therrihan, the capital was nearly as large as Serine, and still alive, even at night. They passed several taverns, alive with music and shouting, as well as buildings taller than any Regina had ever seen before.

 

However, seeing the city in the daylight told another story.

 

After a night spent in very cramped chambers provided by Doc, a friendly dwarf doctor and Council member, they got up the next morning to get breakfast from the market. They stopped at the stables to turn in their horses, then the bath house to bathe and make themselves presentable, so they could go directly to the palace after eating.

 

When she stepped outside, the first thing that caught her attention was the mess.

 

Trash and refuse gathered in the ditches alongside the street where they walked. The road itself was uneven and filled with ruts, a condition she would expect from a rarely-used country road far from any civilization. Here in the capital city, however, there should be a system in place that ensured the roads stayed in good repair.

 

When they came to the market, it was not the bustling sight Regina had anticipated.

 

Instead, a few lone vendors were hawking their wares, and the customers milling about were so sparse they could not even be called a crowd. It was an odd sight indeed, for the beginning of summer.

 

“Good morning,” Regina greeted the woman in the first stall, while Emma moved along to inspect more of the paltry market.

 

“Indeed it is. Come to buy some fresh fruit?”

 

“I have. How much?” she asked, picking up a strikingly yellow qaducot and holding it to her nose.

 

“A dhysar,” the woman said decidedly, with a glint in her eye that told Regina she had likely already had to defend the price several times that morning. It took everything Regina had not to openly balk. She had been expecting expensive prices, given her experience in Therrihan so far, but it was still beyond outrageous.

 

“They do look delicious.”

 

“Tiphaete has blessed us with good rains this year.”

 

She weighed her options. She only had so much money, but they did need breakfast. This woman might also be able to answer some questions about the king, and she was more likely to be friendly after Regina had purchased things from her. Sighing quietly, Regina removed two silver coins from her coin purse and handed them over.

 

She stepped over to the side of the stall so she wouldn’t be blocking it from any potential shoppers, and took a bite of the fruit. Her teeth easily pierced the soft flesh, and she let the sweet juice fill her mouth.

 

“Mmm. Just as wonderful as it looked,” she said after she had swallowed, tossing the woman a grin.

 

The woman smiled back at her. “It is a good batch. I had one myself just this morning.”

 

“Out of curiosity,” Regina started, taking another bite and swallowing while she considered her words. “Is the price just because of the crop? Or does it have to do with the tax increase?”

 

The woman kept smiling.

 

“Oh, yes. The tax increase is part of it, to be sure. That is why there are so few of us left here.” She gestured around the market to all the empty booths. “But it was an exceptional crop, don’t you think?”

 

“Indeed, indeed.” She paused. “Forgive me, I’m not from here. So I am unfamiliar with your practices. But what exactly are these taxes for?”

 

The woman’s smile morphed into a confused frown for the space of a moment, then returned. “I don’t really follow politics, I’m sorry. But I’m sure the king must have a good reason since he is asking so much! He has nothing but our best interests at heart.”

 

Regina nodded absently and watched across the market, where Emma was making conversation with another vendor, a man selling nuts. She wondered if he would display the same attitude.

 

Just like the man from the first town, whose cousin had nothing but good things to say about this mysterious king. Extreme taxes that were driving people out of business, but nothing to show for it. Khemre looked as though it had no money in the coffers at all.

 

So where was all of it going? Was the impostor just collecting money for the sake of wealth, or did he have some other plan in motion?

 

Regina thanked the woman and then went to meet Emma. She passed several empty stalls, another woman selling produce, and, strangely, a woman with short brown hair who seemed to be selling nothing but carvings of birds.

 

Emma handed her a small muslin bag filled with nuts and took the other qaducot.

 

“You see the crazy bird lady?” Emma muttered as they left the market behind and continued on toward the palace.

 

“I did. You wouldn’t think she would be able to make a living doing that. Are birds some sort of religious symbol here?”

 

“I wondered the same thing, so I asked her. They’re not, but wait until you hear this: the woman used to only draw and sculpt birds as a hobby, but when she was summoned for her gifting meeting with the king, she offered him one. He loved it so much that he offered to pay her to continue full time, as long as she continued to give him a new one every week.”

 

“Back up for a moment. Gifting meeting?”

 

“Mmhmm. Apparently the king summons people at random every day to gifting meetings, and you have to give some sort of gift. You have to compose and sing a song or draw a picture, and then hope for the best. If he likes the gift, you’ve done your duty, and you may go. If he doesn’t, he either fines you or sends you to prison.”

 

Regina stopped in her tracks.

 

“I’m sorry?”

 

Emma nodded. “My thoughts exactly.”

 

“And the bird lady didn’t seem bothered by this?”

 

“Not at all. She may as well have been describing the weather. I’m also pretty sure that the patronage situation they have set up was less of an opportunity and more of a threat, from the way she worded it. But she was just as happy as could be, and kept going on and on about how amazing the king is.”

 

“I just don’t understand. How could the compulsion work this well on _everyone_? It seems like he’s gotten to the entire city.”

 

Emma shook her head. “I don’t know. What were the words again? Unfathomable love?”

 

Regina nodded, staying silent. She knew more than most that love could be a potent weapon. It could be twisted and used to defend the most hideous actions, both by those wielding the power and those on the receiving end. But even in the worst days with Mother, she had never imagined anything on this scale.

 

By the time they were nearing the castle, Regina had finished her breakfast. She watched as Emma sucked the qaducot juice off her fingers, and her stomach gave a little flip.

 

“Lose your handkerchief, did you?” Her voice came out more rigid than she had intended, less playful, but Emma didn’t seem to notice.

 

She shrugged. “I got orc blood all over my last one. But that may have been the best piece of fruit I’ve ever had. ‘Twould be a shame to let this go to waste.”

 

Regina rolled her eyes.

 

Soon, they passed through the gatehouses and into the courtyard, and it was everything Regina could do to maintain her composure as she looked around. There were lavish decorations _everywhere_.

 

Emma maneuvered closer to her. “Is it some sort of holiday?” Emma muttered, and Regina shook her head.

 

“Not to my knowledge.”

 

They presented themselves to the seneschal and requested an audience with Princess Jacinda.

 

“Is she expecting you?” the man asked, looking down at them past a long, pointed nose. He sniffed once in distaste, clearly wishing to toss them out with last week’s bread.

 

“Yes. We have traveled a long way, so we weren’t sure what day we would be arriving. But she has requested our presence. If you would please give her this note, she will want to see us.” Regina smiled her most charming smile.

 

He did not return it, but he did nod in acquiescence. He took the piece of paper from her hand and disappeared down the hall, and Regina met Emma’s gaze victoriously. This was one of the biggest hurdles they had anticipated: seeing the princess without an official appointment but without alerting the king to their presence.

 

The first step of their plan had gone smoothly. Now, if only their luck would continue.

 

They waited for several minutes before the man returned with a knight following behind him.

 

“She will see you in her garden in a few minutes. Please allow Sir Lancelot to accompany you.”

 

He beckoned, and the man stepped forward and greeted them.

 

Regina returned the greeting and followed him through the courtyard and around to the side, to a private garden. It was secluded, with tall bushes lining the garden on three sides, the other up against the walls of the castle. Once he had ushered them inside, Lancelot positioned himself at the small opening and waited silently.

 

It was a fairly modest garden, but very lovely. There were a few smaller bushes, trimmed into round shapes, and mostly flowers of all different varieties. The flowers in particular were stunning, cool blues and vibrant pinks and every shade of the rainbow.

 

And planted throughout it all, with its smooth, rounded green leaves, was eoranth.

 

Regina nodded subtly toward it, and Emma nodded. She had seen. This explained why the princess had found peace of mind in the garden - the presence of the eoranth surrounding her must have had a small effect on the compulsion magic. Perhaps especially if she had worked with it, gotten the oil on her hands and breathed it in.

 

Regina’s mind raced.

 

They must have stood there for several minutes, waiting for the princess to appear, but she did not mind. Here was more eoranth - much more eoranth, in case for some reason, they ran out. And it could be used by others in the castle, too, should she and Emma fail.

 

Princess Jacinda emerged from the door connecting the garden to the castle. She was younger than Regina had realized, probably a couple years younger than Regina herself, and she was accompanied by a lovely woman with warm tawny skin.

 

Regina and Emma both dropped into a curtsy, and the princess waved them up.

 

“Good day,” she greeted, then turned to the woman at her side. “Guen, would you please leave us and wait with Sir Lancelot? I have much to discuss with these ladies.”

 

The other woman nodded and hurried away.

 

The princess gave them a conspiratorial look and dropped her voice. “They’re madly in love and will be much more interested in each other’s whispers than they will be in hearing what we have to say.”

 

Regina was glad. The fewer people who knew who they were, the better, especially until they had formed a solid plan and knew whom to trust.

 

“I assume from your note that you’re from the Council?”

 

“Yes. We’re here to help.”

 

“I will warn you. I still am not entirely sure what is happening. Since I wrote you that letter, I’ve taken to recording my thoughts and plans in this journal while I am out here.” She produced a small leather journal from a pocket hidden somewhere amongst her voluminous skirts. “The king still thinks I simply enjoy nature. I have never been more thankful that I took up this hobby when I was young.”

 

“Your Highness, Do you mind if I ask a question?” Emma asked.

 

“Please, call me Jacinda. And ask me anything. I will tell you everything I can.”

 

“Your father. Where is King Nicolás?”

 

Jacinda blew out a breath. “I don’t know.”

 

“What happened?” Regina asked.

 

“One day he went into a meeting with...the man we now know as King Padraic. When he emerged from the cabinet, Padraic said that my father would be taking an extended trip, and that he would be acting as king in the interim. He had a document signed in my father’s hand and sealed with his signet ring.” The princess wrung her hands together. “It didn’t even occur to us that it might be odd! We just accepted it! All of us! And now he might be in chains or dead or-” she stopped with a sob.

 

Emma reached out to take her hand in both of hers, and the princess used the other to wipe tears away from her own cheeks.

 

“My apologies. I swore I wouldn’t do that.”

 

“‘Tis only natural,” Emma consoled.

 

The princess composed herself again in a moment, a lifetime of political training coming into play. “I have tried to collect what information I could, like I said before. When I read my journal anywhere but here, I don’t understand why any of the actions I’ve chronicled should strike me as problematic. When I read that he’s torturing animals for fun on the throne room floor, or that he has sentenced people to years in the prison mines just because he doesn’t like their Gift…”

 

Regina raised her eyebrows.

 

“He does so many awful things, and he is robbing the people blind! I try to give back what I can, but it is difficult when my thoughts are only my own here. I even tried talking to Sir Lancelot here once, and we tried to form a plan, but we could not think of anything that would not end with us dead and the impostor left to rule without suspicion. And I’m afraid that if I start spending all my time here, he is going to grow suspicious.”

 

“We actually have a solution for that,” Emma piped up.

 

“Really?”

 

“‘Tis the eoranth,” Regina added.

 

“I’m sorry?”

 

“The eoranth. The plant you have amid all your flowers?”

 

“Oh, I didn’t even know it had a name. I got the seeds from a traveling peddler, and I liked the way it looked so much last year that this year, I decided to put it all over the garden.”

 

“A good thing you did. It turns out.” Regina explained about eoranth and its ability to combat compulsion magic. “Obviously you haven’t had the full effect since you have never ingested it. But if you take a sprig and brew it into a tea twice a day, you will have your thoughts back all the time, no matter where you are.”

 

“Or, at least, that is what we have been promised,” Emma admitted. “Since we have yet to be in the presence of...him, I have no guarantees.”  


“Given how much the plant has impacted you by its mere presence, though, I think that is a strong argument.”

 

“Do you know where the magic is coming from?”

 

Regina nodded. “We do. We believe it is an old artifact known as the Necklace of Nimue. ‘Tis only powerful while being worn, so if we could manage to remove it from his neck, we might have a chance of defeating him.”

 

“But how? And how long do you think the confusion will last after you take it off?”

 

“We don’t know for sure, but I am guessing a while. Do you have a guard you would trust to be on our side and not betray us to the king if we were to give him eoranth now?”

 

Jacinda nodded behind them. “Sir Lancelot. He is not the captain, but many of the knights are under his command, and he is often in the throne room. He is also a Council member.”

 

Emma glanced up in surprise.

 

“Really?”

 

“Really. He has helped me and passed on information many times. I trust his loyalty with my life.”

 

Regina nodded definitively. “Good. We will need a guarantee that someone will be able to react quickly. Or rather, stop the other guards from acting quickly when the king orders an arrow through my heart once the necklace is off.”

 

“You have a plan, then?”

 

Regina nodded. “Someone told us today that the king has a random assortment of people visit everyday with gifts of some sort?”  


Jacinda nodded.

 

“Are these people decided ahead of time?”

 

“No. He picks a list at random from the census at the beginning of every week. Then the people are notified that they have one week to prepare their Gifts for presentation.”

 

“So he has never seen these people before?”

 

“No, not to my knowledge.”

 

“Perfect. All we need are two women whose identities we could borrow for the day. Do you have access to the list?”

 

“I could probably find it.”

 

“Wonderful. Could you write yourself instructions on what to look for? And when you find it, send us the details here.” She gave the information for Doc’s residence, and Jacinda dutifully recorded it.

 

“Alright.”

 

They called Guinevere and Sir Lancelot to the garden and spent another hour plotting out further details. They could easily have spent longer, but they did not want King Padraic to take notice that something was amiss.

 

Regina and Emma took their leave, and Princess Jacinda thanked them once more.

 

“No thanks necessary. Write to us if you have any other questions.”

 

“I will. Taana be with you.”

 

Regina inclined her head. “And you.”


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning, they ventured to the local tailor.

 

Emma grumbled as they approached the building. “This is ridiculous. I cannot believe I have to waste good money like this.”

 

“I’m sure you’ll be able to get lots of use out of it!” Regina said, and Emma eyed her doubtfully.

 

“And how do you suggest I do that?”

 

“You can rip it to rage and use it to polish your swords?”

 

Emma threw her head back and laughed. “Ah, well, at least it won’t be a completely useless purchase, then.”

 

With that, they walked into the shop. Her eyes took a moment to adjust to the darkness after being out in the morning light, but when she looked around, she saw that they were the only ones in the room except a woman in the far corner, standing on a stool to reach some fabric on a high shelf.

 

“Good morning,” Emma greeted, and the woman turned.

 

“Oh! Good morning, ladies. My apologies, I did not hear the door,” she said, climbing down from the stool and hurrying toward them.

 

“I am in need of a dress.”

 

“You have come to the right place! Exactly what type of dress do you need?”

 

Emma leaned forward in mock-secrecy. “Something...revealing. Scandalous.”

 

“Ooh, getting married are you?” the woman said with an awkward pump of her eyebrows. “Who is the lucky man?”

 

Regina was likely the only one who noticed Emma’s tiny sigh of annoyance.

 

“His name is William.”

 

“Ahh. A strapping lad, yes? He would have to be to catch you, I imagine,” the woman said, her eyes sizing up Emma’s long golden locks and lithe, strong figure. Regina realized she was doing the same even though she had no reason to do so, and she looked away, investigating all the different types of fabric that were stacked everywhere.

 

“Indeed. And I have heard you make excellent creations, but I am in a bit of a hurry. Do you have anything ready-made that I could try on?”

 

“Of course.” The woman nodded. “Please, follow me. I have a few options that would suit you. I am thinking an emerald, perhaps a dark maroon…”

 

They followed behind the woman as she disappeared to the next room, rambling to herself all the while. She ambled to a rack stuffed with dresses in every color of the rainbow, shuffling through them and finally pulling out a dress of vivid red. She placed it in Emma’s arms, then gestured to the curtained-off corner right next to the fitting area. Emma disappeared into the corner, and Regina waited. She examined herself from the view of the three looking glasses set up in the corner, taking in her durable, if boring clothes. She did not own many clothes, but they were all like this. Serviceable. She had one navy dress that she pulled out for assignments and special occasions, but even it was old and had been mended several times over.

 

Not that she really minded. She certainly was not planning on turning into a fine lady anytime soon. But being in this shop was reminding her of the long-ignored fact that she enjoyed the feeling a well-fitted, enticing outfit gave her.

 

“I will need something, too,” she said to the tailor, who turned to her inquiringly. “Nothing like...nothing like what she wants. But a nice, simple dress appropriate for a Gifting.”

 

“Oh! You have your Gifting ceremony soon? You lucky girl! Yes, yes, I will definitely have something for you, as well.”

 

The woman began sorting through the racks and set aside a few possibilities.  


“Option number one,” came Emma’s voice, and Regina turned back just in time to see Emma dramatically sweep the curtain aside.

 

She nearly swallowed her tongue.

 

The deep red brought out the luscious pinkness of Emma’s lips, and the dress had only two slender straps for sleeves, revealing a fast expanse of skin, ivory pale in some places and darkened by the sun in others. Her hair was still tied back, revealing a long, graceful neck, and doing absolutely nothing to shield the daring, plunging neckline.

 

A neckline Regina could not seem to tear her eyes away from, and she felt heat creeping up her chest and into her face.

 

Emma spun slowly in a circle, revealing that the back of the dress was even more nonexistent than the front, dropping nearly down to her waist. No wonder she had been able to fasten the dress without assistance.

 

Oddly, the bottom was a full, modest skirt, a juxtaposition that made no sense until Emma turned back to face them again, and Regina caught a flash of her leg all the way to the top of her thigh. Ah, a slit. Two. One on each side.

 

This was a dress clearly made for one purpose and one purpose alone.

 

And that purpose made Regina’s mind go entirely blank.

 

“So?”

 

Regina jerked out of her trance, her eyes snapping up to meet Emma’s. She desperately hoped she hadn’t shown her thoughts on her face. That was just what they needed, Regina messing up their operation with _feelings_. One cared for one’s partner enough to keep them out of danger but not so much that it might compromise the mission.

 

But lust did not mean feelings, after all, she rationalized. Still, she took the whole of the matter and shoved it deep down.

 

Emma looked down, seeing where Regina’s eyes had been stuck, but thankfully, she misinterpreted. “Yes, I was worried about that, too.”

 

Regina made no answer, as “worry” did not exactly describe her feelings toward that bodice. Her reaction to it, possibly.

 

Emma turned to the dressmaker “I know I am not particularly...endowed, but even still, I feel if I move a single inch, I will be tumbling right out of this bodice. I plan to dance for my, er, husband. And it will be easier to remember the steps if I am not worried about my breasts falling out.”

 

The dressmaker giggled scandalously, turned back to the racks, and came back with a garment of dark indigo.

 

Emma took it, then retreated back into the curtained-off area.

 

“While she is dressing, I believe I have the perfect thing for you, my dear. Let me just see if I can find it…” The woman disappeared down a dark hallway, leaving Regina alone with her reflection and the sound of cloth rustling from the corner. A particularly loud grunt from Emma caught her attention.

 

“You alright in there?”

 

Emma’s reply was strangled.

 

“I think I will need some assistance with this one.”

 

Regina glanced toward the hallway, half-hoping that the woman would come back, but she did not. Instead, Regina was alone with a partially-undressed Emma who wanted her help.

 

This was fine.

 

Emma’s head poked out, and she frowned when the seamstress was nowhere to be found.

 

“She went to go find me a dress for the ceremony.”

 

“Would you mind…”

 

“Of course.”

 

Emma pushed the curtain to the side and quickly spun around, revealing a gaping back with at least fifteen buttons to assemble.

 

Regina cleared her throat and stepped forward.

 

When she reached out to do the first button, her fingers brushed against Emma’s skin, and the other woman gasped quietly.

 

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

 

“‘Tis alright,” Emma said, her voice sounding slightly breathless.

 

The cause quickly became clear when she reached the third button, and there was absolutely no way it was going to clasp. She tugged, and Emma sucked in her stomach and held her breath, but to no avail. A quick tug at the top of the garment revealed that the four-inch gape there was not going to be bridged either.

 

“So, no hope for this one?”

 

Emma turned, and Regina couldn’t help but let out a startled laugh. Emma stepped out to the mirrors and immediately began chuckling along with her. The dress was clearly meant for a much smaller person. The arms were too short, the hem stopping well above her ankles, and if she moved more than an inch, Regina feared the seams might pop apart.

 

“Why did you even try to get this on?”

 

Emma shrugged, a miniscule movement that was probably about all she could manage in the tiny fabric prison. “I don’t wear a lot of dresses. I thought perhaps it was some fashion nonsense.”

 

“Not unless the fashion in this kingdom is walking around like you have no idea how to clothe yourself.”

 

The woman still had not returned, so Regina selected a dress herself and handed it over.

 

“Here. Try this. It cannot be worse, at least.”

 

Emma took the dress and disappeared behind the curtain once more.

 

“Let me know if you need me to go hire a mule to pry that thing off you.”

 

“Sod off,” came the disembodied voice behind the curtain, and Regina laughed and waited for the next outfit.

 

This time, when Emma emerged, Regina had no desire to laugh. She gulped instead.

 

The dress was hunter green, made of a lighter fabric that almost seemed to float. It had a lower-cut neckline, but not so low that Emma was in danger of falling out. Interestingly, there was also a strip of her stomach showing, the dress actually being made of two individual pieces. The sleeves were long and flared out near the wrists, draping to the tips of her fingers.

 

Emma walked toward the mirror, and the fabric swished alluringly around her legs as she moved.

 

“Here,” Regina said, hoping that her voice did not sound as rough to Emma’s ears as it did to her own.

 

She reached out and untied the leather thong that held Emma’s hair back in a queue, and it fell, cascading around her shoulders.

 

“I look ridiculous.” Emma’s voice was wry.

 

“You look perfect.” Emma’s eyes moved to meet hers in the looking glass. “For the mission, I mean. There’s no way he will send you to prison if you’re wearing this. He won’t be able to resist looking at you.”

 

Emma grimaced. “Yes, just what I always desired.”

 

“All you have to do is get close enough to grab the necklace.”

 

“We’ll see. Maybe I’m not his type.”

 

“I don’t think _anyone_ could resist you in that.”

 

Oh, those words were stupid, stupid, but the look in Emma’s eyes when she moved to meet Regina’s gaze. It was worth it. Emma opened her mouth to reply, but before she could, the shopkeeper finally returned.

 

“I have just the thing!” she exclaimed, and Regina jumped, turning away from Emma. She hurried toward them, shoved the dress at Regina, and immediately cooed over Emma.

 

“What an eye, what an eye. I was commissioned for this outfit only a month ago, but the woman decided she wanted it in blue instead. But it fits you almost perfectly! I could not have picked out a better one myself.”

 

Well, _that_ was certainly true. Regina bit back a comment and just shared an amused look with Emma in the mirror.

 

Regina closed herself behind the curtain and undressed quickly while the seamstress worked with Emma on minor alterations.

 

Regina did not have much faith in the woman’s choice after her selections for Emma, but strangely, she seemed to have read Regina’s needs much better than she did Emma’s. The gown was a simple affair, but a lovely, deep purple, and it fit her like a glove. It fastened in the front, which prevented the need for assistance, and it also had hidden pockets and a full skirt that would allow for both movement and hidden weapons.

 

She stepped outside for a quick inspection in the mirror, and Emma’s head snapped toward her.

 

“Wow. You look amazing.”

 

“A little better than our leathers, hm?”

 

“For this particular occasion? Yes. But I will choose leathers any day of the week.” She wrinkled her nose at her reflection.

 

“Amen to that,” Regina agreed. “Well. Six out of seven days,” she amended, inspecting herself in the mirror. She really did look quite fantastic. And while she certainly would not want to wear a dress on a daily basis - they were horrendously impractical - she quite enjoyed wearing attractive clothes. She loved the way they felt, as well as the fact that she could feel Emma’s eyes on her as she walked back to the dressing room.

 

“At least your dress is all in one piece,” Emma muttered, and Regina just laughed.

 

“You can take it off soon enough,” she said, loud enough to be heard through the curtain.

 

“I’m counting on it!”

 

##

 

By the time they arrived back at their safe house, Princess Jacinda had already sent them the details of their identities for the very next day.

 

“It looks like you are to be a woman named Flora, and I am...Fauna?” Emma grimaced. “Are we supposed to be sisters?”

 

Regina snatched the note from her hand and read further down the page.

 

“It would seem so.”

 

“Maybe you should make a flower arrangement for your Gift,” Emma smirked at her.

 

“Only if you bring some birds to chat with.”

 

Emma recoiled. “Gods, no. This kingdom already has one Bird Lady. It doesn’t need another.”

 

“Maybe you’re secretly related.”

 

“Well, my parents abandoned me by the side of the road when I was a baby, so it is within the realm of possibility.”

 

Regina wasn’t quite sure how to respond to that. Before she could come up with what to say next, the door opened, and Doc came in.

 

“Ah, Doc! Good. We would like to ask you some questions.”

 

“I am at your service.”

 

“Have you ever been to a Gifting ceremony?”

 

His face paled.

 

“No. Nor will I, Taana willing,” he continued, pressing his hand to his chest where a medallion likely hid beneath his shirt.

 

“Why? Are they so awful?”

 

“Not to folks like the two of you. But while all of us love to show the King how much he means to us, the journey does not always end well for those of my stature. In fact, it rarely does. The King has sent away almost every dwarf and halfling he has summoned. To the mines, to the sea...no one knows where. Many have moved their families to different cities to escape the fate.”

 

Emma gaped. “But why?” she echoed the question resounding inside Regina’s head.

 

“The king doesn’t like to look at us. He says we make him feel too large and grotesque. He is truly a great king, so the best thing we can do is oblige him.”

 

Neither of them had a response to to that. He seemed so utterly sincere as he said the absurd words, and Regina could not think of a single word to say. She merely gave a half-hearted nod.

 

“Do you have any other tips for us?” Emma finally asked.

 

Doc considered it for a moment. “Do not say anything insulting toward his cat. He is very protective of her.”

 

“His cat?” Regina frowned.

 

“Yes. Felicia, I believe her name is. She stays in the throne room with him at all times. He sometimes...well. That is a conversation for another time.”

 

“What? What does he do.”

 

Doc squirmed. “He has...a unique sense of entertainment. He likes when people bring live mice or rats to their gifting, so he can lock them in a cage with Felicia and watch her stalk and kill them.”

 

“Fun,” Emma deadpanned.

 

“Perhaps not for us, but at least he is ridding the city of rodents.”

 

He was unable to give them any more useful information, so Emma and Regina retired to the small room again to plan and sleep. They needed to be up early the next morning to prepare.

 

##

 

The day of the Gifting dawned bright and clear.

 

They ate a hearty breakfast with Doc, and Regina savored the hot food, knowing that by tonight, she would either be beheaded, on a prison diet of moldy bread, or on the road away from Khemre.

 

However the day went, none of the alternatives were nearly as appealing as the freshly toasted rye and eggs sitting on the table in front of her.

 

Once Doc left for work, it was time to get ready. Their Gifting was to take place in the late morning, just before the noon meal, as the fake king was apparently not an early riser.

 

She helped Emma weave the top portion of her hair into intricate braids, while most of it was left down to caress her shoulders. Regina then helped Emma fasten her dress, and changed into her own.

 

A few minutes before it was time to leave, Regina spied the horse and driver she had hired the day before, pulling up in front of the house.

 

“Ready?”

 

“One moment.” Emma lifted her skirts and tugged on the sheath she wore on one leg, making sure the dagger was secure, then let the fabric fall and conceal it again. “Ready.”

 

Regina felt for her own weapons, one concealed in a pocket, the other down her bodice. Hopefully they would not be reduced to using them, but she knew from experience that it was better to have a weapon and not need it than vice versa.

 

They grabbed their packs and left for the castle.

 

Regina had balked at the price of hiring a wagon, but they did not want to show up for a ceremony with a capricious, evil king covered in mud. Plus, it was part of contingency plan number three, should something go awry.

 

The pounding in Regina’s heart grew louder with every minute they drew closer to the castle. She breathed and pressed her palms to her thighs, repeating plans over and over in her head.

 

Emma looked similarly nervous, but maybe that was good. Regina would imagine people were probably nervous their first time meeting a king.

 

Or someone who was masquerading as one, as the case may be.

 

They drew up to the castle, and the reception was much different than the last time they had arrived. They were greeted immediately, and there was a tall brunette woman dressed in an impeccably lovely golden gown who was to show them the way.

 

“Names?” she asked, looking at the sheet she held in her hands.

 

“Flora and Fauna Merryweather,” Regina said, and the woman did not even hesitate before she checked their names off the list. Step one of the plan was a success.

 

“Welcome. Please, follow me.”

 

Regina’s knees felt like jelly as she followed the woman, purposefully sticking close to Emma.

 

She had barely resisted an urge to take a double dose of eoranth this morning, drinking only the normal amount instead. Zelena had been correct so far; they had not been impacted by the range of influence that seemed to affect everyone in Khemre. Even so, she prayed to all four goddesses that the eoranth would hold and continue to protect her mind even in direct presence of the necklace.

 

Then she took a deep breath, held her head high, and stepped into the throne room.

 

It was time.

 

##

 

If the decorations in the great hall and the rest of the castle had been ornate, then the throne room was positively ostentatious.

 

The large room that should have been open and airy felt most like the basement of a particularly hoarding-inclined goblin. There were shiny silks in various colors draped along the walls, golden statues and fixtures on every available surface. Strangest of all was a huge shelf that stretched all along the left side of the room, where objects of all different kinds were displayed.

 

Regina spotted a line of bird carvings and assumed this must be where he kept the gifts that pleased him. The goddesses only knew what happened to all the others.

 

And at the center of the room, on the biggest throne Regina had ever seen, sat the fake king.

 

His huge size was obvious, both in girth and height, even while he was sitting down. His nose was large and upturned, and combined with his beady eyes, the effect put one in mind of a large rodent. His skin was a shiny pink, and he wore a purple cape lined with white fur and a golden crown on a head that was too small for his body.

 

And around his neck was a gold chain, holding a glinting cerulean stone half the size of Regina’s fist.

 

As she stared at it, she could feel an almost perceptible _tug_ at her brain, as though the stone was caressing her skull, searching for a way in.

 

But all she felt was revulsion, followed by an almost overwhelming sense of relief.

 

The eoranth had worked.

 

Regina’s eyes narrowed as fear flowed out and determination filled her. She let her eyes take in every necessary detail of the room. The exits, the number of guards, the spaces they would have to maneuver. She also took in unnecessary details, such as the fact that Doc had been correct about the cat. On the curved arm of the throne perched a large white cat with a long, soft coat and a pink bow on her head.

 

Padraic was petting her as he eyed them.

 

“Flora and Fauna Merryweather,” announced the man at the door.

 

Regina and Emma walked up together through the aisle of benches that took up the back half of the room. They stopped in front of them, where the space opened again, and both curtsied deeply. Regina intentionally wore a smile and tried to look like she was excited to be here.

 

“You may rise.”

 

Regina had expected a high, squeaky voice from the man’s appearance, but instead it was deep and smooth.

 

“Please, take your seats and wait for the ceremony to begin,” he said, gesturing to their right.

 

His eyes stayed glued to Emma as they moved to sit, which was perfect for the plan, but it still filled Regina with an indescribable rage. She wanted to jump in front of her and shield her from his dark, calculating eyes.

 

There was one man already sitting on the front row. He was staring at the man on the throne with a kind of slack-jawed awe. His eyes were blank and glossy when he briefly looked at Regina as she sat down next to him, and then his eyes moved back to the impostor king.

 

She modified her expression to try to look approximately the same, though it was difficult when she could feel nothing but horror for this man and all he had done. She looked at the cat instead, and that was a little better. She could also see Emma clearly in her peripheral vision from this position, and she watched as Emma subtly tapped her cheek three times before smoothing her hair back. Immediately, Regina felt a sweep of relief at the signal they had concocted: an indication that Emma was in possession of her own mind.

 

Soon enough, the last two participants showed up. According to the announcer, their names were Allegra and Cynnith, so if princess Jacinda had been right about these affairs typically proceeding in alphabetical order, they would be going before Regina and Emma.

 

She bit back an impatient sigh.

 

But they had to wait until they could get close enough without arousing his suspicions. Until the necklace was off, he was still in command, and there were no fewer than eight armed guards stationed around the room, two of them standing on each side of the throne, no more than five feet away. The second they made a threatening move, they would be dead.

 

Finally, the ceremony began. The woman in the gold dress appeared again and read a long speech about the history of Gifting.

 

“King Padraic is the first of his line…” she continued, and Regina sat up a little straighter. She absently wondered if it was his actual name, or if it was as fake as his claim to the throne.

 

Finally, the first person was called.

 

“Allegra Yllohil.”

 

A young blonde woman, perhaps nineteen or twenty, stood and moved to the center of the room, grasping a wrapped parcel.

 

“Your Majesty, I have painted you a picture.”

 

“Of what?”

 

“Of the castle, with your crest on the flag, waving proudly in the breeze.”

 

The impostor king nodded. “I am intrigued. Please, show me.”

 

The girl removed the white cloth she had wrapped around the canvas, revealing an exquisitely painted piece of art. The large stone castle rose high in the pure blue sky, and Regina could almost hear the flag whipping in the breeze.

 

Padraic made a small gesture, and the woman in gold took the painting from the girl and brought it up for his inspection. He looked entirely unmoved, and Regina thought for a moment that he might reject it.

 

Instead, he said, “It is lovely. Thank you for your Gift.”

 

The girl’s smile took over her entire face, absolutely elated. “Thank you, Your Majesty. I am only happy that it pleases you.”

 

He nodded graciously.

 

The girl curtsied and then floated out of the room, a beatific grin still painted across her face.

 

The look made Regina ill.

 

“Cynnith Provven.”

 

The other woman next to them stood. She was older than the first, perhaps late forties, and she only held a small piece of parchment.

 

She moved to where the other woman had stood and cleared her throat.

 

“Your Majesty. I have written a poem for you.”

 

He nodded, and she cleared her throat once more, then began. “My king is so majestic, so brilliant and wise

He does not-”

 

“Did you not memorize it?”

 

The woman halted, staring up at him. “I beg your pardon?”

 

“Your poem. Did you not commit it to memory?”

 

“My apologies, Your Majesty, I did not.”

 

“And why not?”

 

“I-” the woman looked wildly around the room, near tears. “I did not have the time. I worked so hard to make it perfect that I-”

 

“Am I so unimportant that you cannot even remember these words you slaved so hard over?” his voice rose, going from smooth butter to gravel in a split second as his cheeks grew flushed. “Should these words you have composed in my honor fade into obscurity like the ink they are written in? What good is a poem on paper? It should be committed to memory, recited with passion!”

 

“Y-Yes, of course, Your Majesty. I will do that immediately. Of course. With happiness.”

 

He sat back against the throne and looked at her, impassive, temper apparently receded.

 

And then he reached under his cape and pulled out a small bell.

 

He rang it, and the two guards from either side of the room immediately moved forward and grasped the woman by both arms.

 

“The mines. Three months.” He was utterly calm, as though he were asking for a glass of champagne and not sentencing a woman to prison labor for failing to memorize a poem.

 

“Your Majesty, please! I have children!”

 

“Perhaps they should learn to respect their king, which is a lesson you must have skipped.”

 

The woman’s wails were loud as she was dragged from the courtroom. Two more guards entered just after the others disappeared with the woman, taking up the post their fellow men had just abandoned.

 

One of them was Sir Lancelot. That small reassurance was welcome against the tide of fear that was once again pressing against her.

 

“Flora Merryweather.”

 

For a split second, Regina’s heart leapt in her throat.

 

They were not supposed to call her next.

 

But they had discussed what to do if they did. She thanked Emma silently for having come up with this idea.

 

On shaking legs, Regina stood. She moved to where the others had stood to present their Gifts. She worked at keeping her face joyful but blankly reverent, and her cheeks ached from it.

 

“My sister and I have gifts that will be given simultaneously. If it pleases Your Majesty, she has prepared a dance for you, while I will accompany her in song.”

 

“How delightful,” Padraic grinned.

 

Regina looked back and watched as Emma moved to join her. Emma made eye contact and nodded, the merest inclination of her head. She struck a pose, and Regina began the first note.

 

It was a lovely aria, had been her favorite back when she had first started her voice lessons, especially because it was one of the few her father had taught her. She had chosen it for today because the fake king was unlikely to understand it, as it was composed in Old Yalian rather than the Common Tongue. It was also one of only a few that she still remembered, after so many years gone without singing.

 

Her voice was strong and smooth, which was honestly a bit surprising, after letting it fall into disuse for so long. She rarely sang, even to herself when she was alone on the road. Maybe a bit of humming here or there, but she certainly never sang full songs to herself.

 

It was something to contemplate for later, because right now, all of her attention was on pretending _not_ to pay attention to Emma. Emma was swaying her hips with surprising grace, and her arms posed as though she did this every day.

 

She gradually danced closer and closer, and instead of being alarmed, the guards on either side of Padraic were staring nearly as intensely as the impostor king himself.

 

Emma halted a few feet in front of him and did a complex move Regina had never seen, but was impressed with nonetheless.

 

She then spun in a seductive circle and began shuffling toward the king, now moving her hips in a figure eight motion.

 

She stopped less than two feet in front of him, then she spun and touched her hand to her left eyebrow.

 

That was the signal.

 

She turned back toward the king and swayed once more. One of the guards took a half step forward, as though he had just started to realize that perhaps he should not let a person - even a pretty, ostensibly helpless woman - so near this man he was supposed to protect.

 

Regina took a deep breath, ready to begin the final movement. She hit and held a high note that would make her father cry with pride.

 

And then let the note rip jaggedly in her throat and collapsed onto the floor.

 

Immediately, every eye in the room was on her, and she heard a startled cry and some movement behind her. Perhaps one of the audience members coming to help.

 

But she did not look, lying on the floor and keeping her half-open eyes on Emma. Regina watched as Emma took advantage of the moment of confusion, reached forward, and deftly slipped the necklace over Padraic’s head.

 

Immediately, Regina sensed the lessened pressure in her mind.

 

Emma’s movement was enough to jerk the attention of the guards away from Regina and back to her, and Regina held her breath as one of them drew a sword.

 

“STOP! THIEF!” If the man’s voice had grown rough when he was angry before, it was made of gravel and ground glass now, his face going nearly purple with rage. It sent a shiver of terror across her skin, and Regina waited for one of them to advance.

 

Emma had backed to several feet away, her hands up in the air, the necklace dangling from one of them. It glinted in the light, an ethereal blue that was so bright it almost seemed to give off a shine of its own.

 

Neither of his personal guards moved, and none of the guards stationed throughout the room advanced either.

 

In fact, no one did.

 

The impostor king shouted again, but not a single guard moved to obey him. Regina watched as they all blinked and rubbed their eyes, as if waking up from a long sleep.

 

Padraic’s cries seemed to be coming from miles away as the guards, the other two townspeople there for their Gifting, and the others in the room began looking around and taking in their surroundings.

 

“Arrest her! What are you doing just standing there? KILL HER!” he raged at the guard to his right, and the guard, a tall man with red hair, reared back.

 

“Who are you?”

 

“What do you mean, who am I? I’m your king!”

 

The man looked too frightened to disagree, but then the woman in the gold dress spoke up.

 

“No. No you aren’t. Who _are_ you? Where is King Nicolás? What have you done with him?”

 

“Ladies and gentlemen, I assure you, I am who I say! You’re all just confused, and this witch has cast a spell on all of you! Apprehend her at once! Look at that jewel she is holding! Bring it to me so that I may destroy it.” If he had said these words in his formerly masterly tone, there is a possibility the people would have believed him, but he could not keep the panic out of his words. Instead, they just sounded like the pleas of a desperate man. Still, it was enough to make the people hesitate one second more.

 

Until Felicia turned from her position on the arm of the throne and sank her teeth into his hand.

 

He flailed his arm and jumped up out of his seat. The cat landed easily on the ground, gave a hiss of disdain, and scampered from the room, her bow landing on the ground behind her.

 

Regina watched, still frozen in her spot on the floor, as the crowd broke. The guards surged forward to apprehend Padraic. He tried to avoid them, but there were too many, and four of the guards controlled him easily. Cries of “Traitor! Impostor!” rose from the back of the room.

 

It was time to move.

 

##

 

They sneaked out of the throne room amid the chaos and ran through the hall to the chapel.

 

In the small room under a huge carving of the symbol of The Four Goddesses, they met with Princess Jacinda one last time.  


“I can feel the difference already!” she whispered enthusiastically. They only had moments before servants would be rushing to find her, to tell her of the developments and make her ready to take the throne, whether temporarily or not.

 

“My mind is my own again. I don’t know how to thank you.”

 

“No thanks necessary,” Regina said.

 

“I have two horses waiting for you behind the castle. As soon as you arrived, I sent Lance to move your things from the wagon. They will be waiting with the horses, along with some gold.”

 

Regina began to protest, but Jacinda held up a hand.

 

“We have no time to argue, and it was the right thing to do.” Footsteps slapped on the ground as people ran by, and Jacinda cast a glance toward the door. She moved to the other end of the room and pressed a hidden panel underneath an ornate painting of a tree at sunset. As she did, a door sprung up to the right of it. She gestured inside. “This will lead to where you need to be. Safe travels. May you destroy that piece of evil as quickly as possible.”

 

“Trust me, we will,” Regina assured her.

 

The door handle rattled from across the room. “Your Highness? Are you in there?” came a muffled voice through the wood.

 

“I pray that your father is well,” Emma said, disappearing into the darkness. “Goodbye.”

 

“Feorra be with you!” Regina said in farewell.

 

“Thank you! And Taana with you!” the princess - Queen - responded, and then she shut the door behind them.

 

They made their way fairly quickly. Their pace was not as quick as Regina might have preferred, but it was also completely and utterly dark, so they had to use their hands for guidance.

 

Thankfully, the tunnel did not branch off at all. Regina thought she felt the outlines of another door at one point, but the tunnel only seemed to lead one place.

 

Soon enough, they came to the end, and when Regina cautiously pushed open the door, she saw light. Daylight, specifically, shining brightly as though today was the first day the sun had learned how to truly shine.

 

And in the distance, she could see horses. Two spotted beauties with white coats and brown markings.

 

They ran for the horses, and when they reached them, Emma immediately pulled out a small leather pouch and placed the necklace inside it, then placed the pouch inside of her pack. Then she turned to Regina with an incredulous laugh.

 

“Let's go!"


	5. Chapter 5

They rode hard for an hour or so, then when Khemre was safely left behind, slowed to a more forgiving pace. After all, they did not want to be made the center of attention, which would draw unnecessary scrutiny toward them and by extension, to the Council. But they also weren’t outlaws; it was extremely unlikely that anyone would be coming after them.

 

Soon, they would arrive at the home of Merlin.

 

Regina was happy to encounter him again. Formerly a blacksmith by trade, he had been fascinated by fire and what caused it. The path had led him to alchemy magic, an area where he was now the leading expert in The Four Kingdoms.

 

He was also a member of the Council, one of the few from Therrihan whom Regina had met on multiple occasions.

 

He was friendly but distant, as he always seemed to be contemplating something. Indeed, he probably was, for he often carried a piece of paper and a stub of charcoal in his robes and would begin scratching notes at any given time.

 

All in all, he was brilliant, and he did not insist of filling time with mundane chatter, two things Regina valued in a person.

 

Though perhaps some people’s chatter was...acceptable, she thought, as she looked over at Emma, who had begun chatting once they had slowed their pace. Now, she was laughing softly to herself, and the sound made something turn over in Regina’s chest. Emma should look ridiculous, wearing the top half of her green gown, the sleeves trailing delicately, matched with her leather breeches that she had slipped on before mounting her horse. The bottom of her dress was likely still strewn carelessly on the grass behind the castle, left behind in a flurry of rushed movement and “good riddance” curses. Regina herself had thrown on her breeches, but as her dress was all one piece, she simply had it tucked up around her waist.

 

They made a hilarious pair, no doubt, but Regina could not bring herself to laugh. Not when she was imagining Emma in her regular tunic again, comfortable in her skin and making ridiculous jokes. Not when the thought made her insides warm with pleasure, as though she wanted it more than she wanted her next meal. Her next three meals, even.

 

“Do you ever think about how much of this job entails doing a good thing, then running away like a guilty thief?” Emma asked, glancing over at her, and Regina quickly looked back toward the road.

 

“I have not. But that is quite accurate, now that I think about it.” Her voice sounded stilted, and she cleared her throat.

 

“I mean, I have no desire to stand around and be lauded like some kind of hero, but occasionally, it feels ridiculous, you know? We just saved a kingdom, and now we’re running away like all we did was steal a necklace.”

 

Regina chuckled. “We must be the worst thieves in history, because if this necklace is not destroyed by sundown, I am going to be extremely disappointed.”

 

“We are nearly there, I think.”

 

Regina hummed in agreement and eyed the terrain ahead of them, which was no longer forest, but open area as far as she could see, a sure sign that they were getting closer.

 

It also meant that there was no shield from the sun, and it beat down on her neck mercilessly.

 

Thankfully, after only a few more minute of riding, they crested a short hill and were able to see a village on the horizon.

 

“Here we are.”

 

“Thank goodness.”

 

##

 

They stabled their horses after briefly checking in with Merlin’s housemaid. She returned the Council greeting with the correct script and assured them that Merlin would be returning soon.

 

There was a hot meal of potatoes and meat waiting for them when they returned to the house, and Regina thought once more of her ridiculous Emma-related contemplations on the road. She banished the idea, sitting down and digging in, purposefully not looking at up at the blonde, who had taken a moment in the stables to rid herself of the top of her gown and was once again clothed in a plain, cream-colored linen shirt.

 

The Goddesses knew what she had done with the top portion of her dress. She had probably used it to wipe down her horse.

 

The visual made her grin to herself.

 

“What?” Emma asked from her position across the table.

 

“Nothing.”

 

“Rude.”

 

“Not everyone chooses to share every single thought that crosses their mind, you know. Sometimes we try this thing where we keep it to ourselves. You should try it sometime.”

 

“Oh, but why could I, when my mind is so creative? After all, right now, ‘tis calling you a-”

 

Merlin entered the room, and Emma halted, her expression morphing into a polite smile, and Regina felt an odd disappointment that she would never know what unique insult Emma had crafted for her.

 

“Good evening. My maid has told me you are here on Council business. What can I do for you?”

 

Regina was unsurprised that he would not bother with the formalities of the official exchange, especially since they already knew each other.

 

“Do you know anything about the Necklace of Nimue?” she asked as Merlin sat at the table.

 

“Of course. But it has been lost for..for years. No one is even sure that it truly exists, or if ‘tis only a myth. Why do you ask?”

 

“Oh, it isn’t a myth,” Emma said.

 

“We have it. And we need to destroy it,” Regina added definitively.

 

Merlin may not have been a man of many words, but she had never seen him at a loss for them.

 

He stared back and forth between the two of them, mouth agape. “The actual Necklace of Nimue? You are certain?”

 

“It matches the description, and it has the same effects.”

 

He sat at the head of the table, leaning forward toward them .“But that would be almost impossible to detect! How did you- Where- When?”

 

“Have you visited Khemre in the last year?”

 

“Yes, of course. Several times.”

 

“Did you notice anything while you were there?”  


“It has fallen into terrible disrepair. The king said...the _king_.” He said, sitting back in shock, as he clearly thought through all the signs that had clearly pointed to corruption, but had not aroused his suspicions until this very moment.

 

Regina nodded. “The man known as King Padraic was an impostor. He took the throne of King Nicolás illegally, after dispensing with the true king in a manner unknown to us. He used the necklace to gain the love and reverence of the entire capital city. Anyone who saw him was under the thrall. He must have given some soft of address to the masses shortly after he took over, because the entire city was taken in. This necklace is even more powerful than the legend claims. It is a great danger, and it must be destroyed.”

 

“Absolutely.” He sat in contemplative silence for a few moments.

 

The maid entered with more food for him, and he began eating almost mechanically. He soon took out a sheet of paper and his charcoal and began making notes right there at the table while he ate with his left hand.

 

Emma looked at her questioningly, but Regina shrugged. They waited as several minutes passed before he spoke again.

 

“I believe I have a solution. Please, meet me in my workshop when you are finished eating. I must prepare some materials.”

 

With that, he pushed away from the table, leaving his half-eaten meal sitting there. The maid came in to clear away the dishes as soon as he disappeared, muttering to herself about “half-starved” and “stupid for a genius.”

 

Regina only had a few bites left in front of her, so she shoveled them into her mouth and stood. Emma did the same, only to pause and ask. “Where is his workshop, exactly?”

 

“Across the street. Two buildings to your left.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

The woman nodded and continued clearing the table.

 

Regina and Emma found the workshop easily. One side was a large, barn-like structure, clearly the blacksmith side of his shop. The sun was dropping in the sky, casting long shadows, but there was still enough light to see that the shorter half of the building, on the east side, was a much newer addition, perhaps only a few years old. Probably a good idea to have a separate area away from the forge if one was going to be messing with chemicals.

 

When a knock at the door yielded no answer, Regina opened the door slowly and peeked her head in.

 

Merlin was standing over a desk, carefully pouring a clear liquid from one vial into another. Upon contact, the liquid in the second vial turned a vivid yellow.

 

“Did you bring the necklace?” he asked over his shoulder.

 

“Of course.”

 

Emma produced the pouch from her pack and held it loosely in one hand.

 

“Let me see it.”

 

“Be careful,” Emma warned as she handed it over. “Whatever you do, don’t put it on.”

 

Merlin carefully removed the necklace from the pouch, and Regina flinched when she saw it once more.

 

The room was only dimly lit with a few oil lamps, but the jewel still sparkled. It was a clear, cool cerulean, and seeing it this close, she could see just how obscenely large it really was.

 

She felt absolutely no pull toward it, however, no compulsion trying to wiggle its way into her brain, even though Merlin was holding it in his palm with no protection. The necklace truly seemed to be without power unless it was actively being worn - or at least the power was dormant - but it still shone suspiciously. There was no way one could look at the jewel and not believe it was in some way supernatural. It was simply too big, too bright to be anything else.

 

Merlin held the necklace close to the lamplight and turned it one direction, then the other. Then he placed it down on his workbench and returned to his potions.

 

As he worked, he asked them questions about how it worked and their experience with the necklace. They answered the questions to the best of their abilities, and abruptly, after several minutes, he grabbed the necklace and plopped it down into the potion.

 

Nothing happened.

 

Merlin muttered a curse.

 

“Is something wrong with the potion?” Regina asked.

 

“No, the potion is perfect. It is remarkably powerful for a one that takes so little time to prepare, and I have used it many times. I am afraid the necklace is magically protected.” He sighed. “I had expected this, but I had hoped it wouldn’t be. You may as well return to the house. This is going to be a long process.”

 

Regina nearly protested, but the words alone were suddenly enough to remind her just how tired she was. The eoranth was still taking effect, and she was exhausted to her bones after the long day. She was grateful it had done its job, but she was also ready to be back to her former strength.

 

But she would not be able to stop the eoranth until the necklace was safely destroyed.

 

She had a moment of hesitance at the idea of letting the necklace out of her control, but she trusted Merlin. He was a longtime Council member, and she knew Queen Tiana had trusted him with multiple assignments in the past.

 

Merlin did not await their acquiescence. He left the room without another word.

 

Regina exchanged a glance with Emma, who appeared rather bemused.

 

“Is he always like this?”

 

Regina nodded, smiling. “As far as I know. But he’s brilliant. If he can’t destroy it…” Regina’s smile faded as the rest of the statement resounded in her head.

 

“No one can.”

 

“Exactly. So, let’s hope he can.”

 

Because if he was unable to destroy it, Regina had absolutely no idea what they were going to do.

 

##

 

They did not see Merlin again until the next morning at breakfast. In an entrance similar to the night before, he burst into the room when Regina had a spoon halfway to her mouth, her meal already partially eaten.

 

“I have unfortunate news,” he said in lieu of a greeting, and Regina’s stomach sank. She placed her spoon back in the bowl, her appetite suddenly depleted.

 

“What is it?” Emma asked through a mouthful of porridge. Apparently her appetite was not similarly hindered.

 

“I am afraid that Nimue was more powerful than I had expected. I cannot destroy the necklace.”

 

Regina had no words to respond. Her mind whirled, attempting to conjure up a solution. They could hide the necklace away in a vault somewhere. It had been successful for many years before. Maybe they could have an illusion spell put in place-

 

“Do you know someone who can?” Emma asked.

 

Merlin did not look at all offended, instead saying, “No. In fact, the problem isn’t with my lack of power or methods. I believe that the necklace is under an extremely potent warding spell. This protection makes it impervious to threats of any sort, magical, chemical, or otherwise.”

 

“That’s possible?” Emma asked with a frown.

 

Merlin nodded. “Here, follow me.”

 

He turned and walked out, and Regina immediately stood to follow him, Emma directly behind her.

 

Merlin led them to the blacksmith side of his workshop, pausing once to allow some men on horseback to pass on the road in front of them.

 

They entered the large, open space, and even though the early morning was actually rather cool, it was bordering on hot in the room thanks to the fire raging at the opposite end of the room.

 

Merlin disappeared into the other side of his shop for a moment, then reappeared with the necklace.

 

“Come closer.”

 

They followed his command, stopping only a few feet in front of the blaze. Beads of sweat began to form on her forehead almost immediately.

 

“Watch.”

 

Merlin grasped a long pair of iron tongs and placed the necklace between their teeth, then held the necklace directly in the center of the red-hot fire. The necklace sparked as it came into contact with the flames, almost as though the fire was being repelled by something stronger than itself. The sparking did not stop, nor did it grow more intense. As long as Merlin held the necklace into the flame, the reaction continued.

 

“I tried several potions, spells, and natural means,” he said, pulling the necklace out of the fire. The sparking stopped immediately, and the necklace was entirely unscathed. “Neither melting nor hammering were effective.”

 

“Then how the hell do we destroy this thing?” Emma asked.

 

“Thankfully, I think the answer is actually rather simple.” He gazed at them expectantly, as if he thought they would automatically understand his meaning.

 

Regina did not, and given Emma’s confused frown, she was equally at a loss.

 

Merlin looked back and forth between the two of them, then sighed. “You must take it to the forest without magic.”

 

“Wintermis?” Regina asked, surprised.

 

He nodded. “Without the warding spell in effect, the necklace should be able to be easily destroyed by natural means. All you would need is a good hammer, and I can certainly provide you with one.”

 

Regina considered it for a moment. “I don’t see that we have a choice.”

 

Emma nodded. “There is nowhere closer?”

 

Merlin shook his head. “There are a few places where it grows weak or fluctuates, but I know of nowhere else that is reliably, absolutely without magic. There have been rumors of a cave in Vrizath, but no one has ever been able to locate it.”

 

Regina met her gaze, then shrugged.

 

“Then to Caezia we go.”

 

##

 

They were back on the road again before the noon meal.

 

The journey to Wintermis Wood meant at least another week before the necklace would be destroyed. More, if they had to wait for a trade ship, as journeys were only made every few days.

 

Although...it did also mean more days with Emma before they went their separate ways, something within her whispered. And while that should have absolutely no impact on things, a glance over at the blonde lessened her frustration at the delay, if only by a fraction.

 

Regina mentally shook her head at herself. This was ridiculous.

 

There were no towns on the road before they reached Alorhha, the sole trade port in Therrihan, so they camped under the stars that night and woke before sunrise to continue. The tincture was nearly halfway gone, after having given some of it to Sir Lancelot and Princess Jacinda, but it would be more than enough to last them through the journey.

 

The sun had barely been up for an hour before they arrived.

 

They navigated straight to the ports, not stopping for anything. If there was a ship leaving this morning, they would be on it.

 

Unfortunately, there were no trade ships in the port when they arrived.

 

Regina let out a curse as she surveyed the sea and the complete lack of viable transport. There were only a few varieties of small fishing boats. Nothing that would be making the journey to Caezia.

 

“Indeed,” Emma agreed.

 

A quick round of inquiries told them that the last trade ship had left yesterday morning, and the next one would not be leaving for another four days.

 

Discouraged, they made their way to a pub by the docks and ordered breakfast.

 

“I cannot believe we’re going to be stuck here for four days.”

 

“This is ridiculous,” Regina grumbled.

 

“At least the necklace is no longer in the hands of a madman.”

 

“I just hate being at a standstill.”

 

Emma shrugged. “There’s nothing to be done. We can’t make the trade ship arrive any faster. And I didn’t see a single boat out there that would be capable of the journey. We can always check back, though. There might be a vessel we can pay to carry us, perhaps.”

 

“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to intrude, but are you looking for a boat?”

 

A girl suddenly stood before their table. She could not have been more than sixteen or seventeen years, with warm brown skin and a friendly smile.

 

“Yes. Why? Do you know of someone?” Emma asked.

 

The girl frowned at her. “I _am_ someone. And I have a boat. Where do you need to go?”

 

“Caezia.”

 

“Hmm.” She contemplated for a moment, then shrugged. “Well, I hadn’t planned on the journey, but we do have the time. I could do it for two dhysars apiece.”

 

Regina met Emma’s eyes briefly before answering. “I don’t mean to sound, er, condescending, but…”

 

“You want to see the boat?”

 

“Yes, please,” Regina returned, grateful the girl did not seem offended. “‘Tis just that-”

 

“Don’t worry. We’re used to it. Naomi!” she turned toward the next table over, and a blonde girl stood up. She was wearing breeches with a white tunic and a turquoise vest, and when she moved closer, Regina could see she was about the same age as the first girl.

 

“I am Moana. This is Naomi, my sailing partner. Would you like us to take you to see the boat?”

 

“Let us finish our meal first,” Emma said.

 

“Excellent.” Moana grinned. “We’ll be waiting at the bar. Just let us know when you’re ready.” They turned and started walking to the bar, the blonde one - Naomi - immediately beginning to talk quietly but animatedly.

 

“Well?” Emma said before taking a bite of her sausage. “What do you think?”

 

Regina kept her voice soft. “I think they’re young, but...I don’t think they’re having us on. After all, I was working at that age. And she seemed serious.”

 

Emma nodded. “Agreed. My only question is how on earth they have a boat. Those aren’t exactly easy to purchase or obtain.”

 

“My thoughts exactly. Maybe she inherited it?”

 

“That’s possible. As long as it seems seaworthy, though, we’ll go?”

 

“We can ask them a few more questions while we’re walking. I don’t particularly want to die a watery death in the middle of the sea and let the necklace fall into the hands of some curious mermaid.”

 

Emma laughed. “Indeed.”

 

They talked for a few more minutes, finishing off their food and chasing it down with the tincture. While the necklace did not seem to have any power unless it was being worn, they had both decided to be cautious and continue taking it anyway, since they would continually be in such close proximity to it.

 

After finishing their meal, they joined Moana and Naomi, talking as they walked down toward the docks. Regina suddenly remembered looking out at all the boats this morning and seeing nothing worthy of a journey to Caezia, and she frowned, scanning the water again. Still, nothing.

 

Moana seemed to sense the direction of her thoughts. “We aren’t pulled into the harbor here. There’s a cove about a mile down the shore. We did some exploring yesterday and decided to stay there.”

 

Regina interrogated both of them on their sailing experience as they walked. They were being commissioned to make a more detailed map of the coastline of Therrihan, but it would still be another few weeks until the stormy season was over on the eastern coast, so they were waiting to continue.

 

“After that, I have so many plans! I want to be the first to discover a safe route through the Midarryn. Do you know how much money and time that would save? It would be a single day’s journey between Yalia and Therrihan, rather than two weeks. And after that, I want to just...sail into the sun. See what there is to see. There has to be more out there, you know?”

 

Regina nodded encouragingly. The girl was so enthusiastic that she had to fight to hold back an amused smile, but she liked her. And Naomi as well, though she was clearly the quieter of the two.

 

After a few more minutes, they came upon the hidden cove, and there was indeed a boat anchored there, a few dozen feet from the pier where a tiny row boat was tied. The vessel was larger than a fishing boat, and much more sleek. It had a mast, though the sails were not up at the moment. It would do nicely, though it certainly would not hold very many more people.

 

“That is quite the vessel. How did you get it?”

 

“That is...a long story.” Moana laughed. “Let’s just say that I have friends in high places.”

 

“That must be nice.”

 

“I try not to complain.”

 

“Ha!” This came from Naomi, who sent her friend a mocking glance.  


“You, shush,” said Moana, but she was grinning.

 

Regina exchanged a glance with Emma, who was smiling. She liked them. And she was in a good mood. The Goddesses had smiled upon them today. They would be able to reach Wintermis Wood much faster and would not have to aimlessly wait days for the arrival of a trade ship. Not to mention, Regina was no boat expert, but she would bet this vessel would likely travel faster than a giant trade ship, which meant that they were cutting even more time off the journey.

 

Which meant less time with Emma, whispered that tiny annoying voice inside of her. But the necklace was the important thing here. Her heart she could deal with in her own time.

 

They toured the boat, which did not take long, but a quick conferral conference ensured that both Emma and Regina were satisfied.

 

“When can we sail?”

 

“We will have to pick up some supplies for the journey. But meet us back here in two hours’ time, and we will be ready.”

 

“Agreed.” They shook hands and parted ways.

 

##

 

Four hours later, Regina was leaning over the side of the boat, casting up her accounts into the sea.

 

When there was nothing left in her stomach, she slid down the side of the boat to the floor, leaning her head against the solid wood.

 

She hated sailing. Hated it.

 

It had been nearly two years since the last time she had been on any craft any larger than a row boat, and she had hoped that she had exaggerated how terrible it was the last time she had sailed from Yalia to Caezia. Even if not, she was stronger now. She thought she would be able to will it away.

 

Only a few minutes on the boat had been enough to dissuade her of that notion, which she now regarded as arrogant foolishness. She had managed to keep her food down for longer than she had anticipated, but her head had started to ache and her legs and turned to jelly and then...

 

She nearly gagged again, thinking about it, and chose to close her eyes think of other things. A peaceful sky. Riding Rocinante. Sparring with Emma.

 

When had Emma joined her happy place?

 

She didn’t know, but she had no energy to fight it right now. The blonde had wormed her way in, somehow, and Regina would just have to deal with it.

 

Once she had energy again.

 

Regina felt a presence by her side and knew immediately who it was. She cracked open a single eyelid, and sure enough, there sat Emma, almost as though summoned by her thoughts.

 

“What?” she croaked. Her throat was sore, and her mouth tasted foul.

 

Emma held out a bottle. “I thought you might want to rinse your mouth.”

 

“Lovely, thank you.” Regina took the bottle, then closed her eyes again. She didn’t hear the sounds of Emma moving away, so she opened the same eye again. “What?”

 

“Are you-” Emma hesitated. “Are you ill? Do we need to turn back?”

 

“Of course not.” Regina meant to but some bite into her words, but instead they just sounded pathetic and weak. “This always happens when I sail.”

 

“I didn’t know you got seasick. You should have said something! I know an herb that helps-”

 

“Well, do you have any now?”

 

“No.”

 

“Then kindly be quiet.”

 

Emma said nothing, and Regina let her eyes close again. She could just stay here for the journey. If only the wood weren’t quite so hard. It was not helping her headache, and her back was beginning to complain.

 

“Do you want me to help you to the back so you can lie down?”

 

Regina frowned, opening both her eyes this time. “Of course not. It was just a little vomit; I’m not an invalid.”

 

“I’ve just never seen you look this pale.”

 

“Thank you for your observation.”

 

A bed sounded lovely, though, even one as sad as the meager cots in the cabin. Regina started to stand, clinging to the wall with one hand when her knees decided they were decidedly against the plan. She took a swig of the water Emma had given her, then swished it around in her mouth and spit it overboard.

 

She eyed the distance she would have to travel in order to reach the bunks.

 

Her pride railed against the thought of accepting Emma’s offer, and yet it also sounded undeniably necessary. It was not a large craft, but she would need to climb down into the cabin.

 

She glanced toward Emma, and as though reading her mind, she reached out for Regina, took her arm, and placed it around her own shoulders.

 

Together, they navigated the way down into the cabin, and Regina fell down on the first cot she saw. It was only a thin straw mattress, but she was so grateful that it may as well have been the bed of a king, stuffed to the gills with goose feathers.

 

She took a deep breath, nestling into the pillow.

 

“Thanks,” she murmured, the word-half muffled, because she hadn’t bothered to lift her head from the pillow before speaking.

 

She wasn’t even sure Emma was still there, because there was no response. Maybe she had already gone back abovedeck. Well, she would thank her later.

 

Or never mention it again and hope that the blonde forgot about it. That was also a distinct possibility.

 

Right now, she did not particularly care, and the muted sounds of the wind and the sails were growing more and more distant as she became more drowsy.

 

Suddenly the softest fingers in the world began stroking through her hair, and she couldn’t help the contented sigh that escaped her lips. It felt like the closest thing to heaven she had ever experienced, and she soon drifted off to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

The next few days passed in a blur. She mostly slept, waking a few times a day for Emma to give her a couple bites of hardtack. She attempted to take the tincture once, but she was unable to keep it down. Thankfully Emma had the foresight to predict the possibility, and she had a bowl at the ready so Regina did not make a mess everywhere.

 

The next time Emma appeared with some hard tack, she had sprinkled a bit of the dried eoranth on top. It had very little taste in this form, and she was able to keep it down.

 

“Not enough, but better than nothing,” Emma commented.

 

Moana and Naomi each appeared a couple times to check on her, probably when Emma was asleep - honestly she was not certain - but they mostly left her alone, realizing that she wanted privacy. She hated being seen as weak or incompetent in any way.

 

She would have been in a foul mood if she had stayed awake, but thankfully, she usually slept with relative ease. Even when she woke once to feel the boat being cast about more violently than usual, Emma appeared a few moments later to reassure her that nothing was wrong. When she woke again, it was peaceful.

 

Well, the movement was peaceful. Instead of drifting off again, she stayed still and listened to the sounds. Because there were more sounds. Rather than the voices of three women and the wind, she could hear other things, too. Gulls and crowds and movement. They must have arrived.

 

She emerged onto the deck on legs that were a little weak, but steady.

 

Moana was the first to spot her, and her eyebrows rose in surprise. “Oh! You’re up! Perfect timing.”

 

Emma turned and saw her, then moved close before murmuring, “You alright?”

 

“I will be once we reach solid land.”

 

“Working on it,” Naomi said, passing by holding a length of rope.

 

Before much longer, they were rowing to the shore, and when Regina’s feet finally touched the ground, she could have cried with relief. Within a few minutes, she felt normal again. Her stomach was still a bit tender, but she no longer felt as though the earth was moving underneath her, which was always a good thing.

 

“Welcome to the lovely city of Ynenas,” Moana said with a grin. “It has been wonderful taking this journey with you.”

 

“I guess here is where we part ways?” Emma asked.

 

“We’ll probably stay here a couple days, then head back,” Moana said, glancing back at her companion, who nodded.

 

“Thank you both so much for taking us,” Regina said.

 

“It was no problem at all.” Naomi waved a hand.

 

Regina produced the coins from her pack and handed them over to the girls. “You did us a great kindness. I’m sorry I wasn’t more help on the journey.”

 

“That’s alright, neither was Emma,” Moana said with a smirk.

 

“Hey!” Emma interjected. “I thought I did pretty well!”

 

“For a beginner, sure,” said Naomi.

 

Emma answered with an exaggerated pout, and both the girls laughed.

 

Regina was slightly envious of the closeness that seemed to have grown between the three over the course of their journey, but she was also grateful to be saying goodbye. She did not need more people slowing down their mission.

 

Regina almost smiled to herself at the surly thought. As though Emma had been anything other than a blessing from the Four Goddesses this trip. Regina would not have made it without her.

 

And wasn’t that a thought.

 

They bade the girls farewell and went to find an inn. It was late in the day, and they would begin their journey to Wintermis Wood at sunup.

 

##

 

That night, Regina was lying alone in the inn room, waiting for Emma to return.

 

The other woman had been too antsy to sleep, had said something about going downstairs to play cards in the taproom.

 

Regina had stayed behind, intending to sleep, but as that was all she had done for the last several days, sleep was proving elusive. She was, in fact, wide awake, even after a bath, which normally relaxed her.

 

She went over their plan to destroy the necklace, but it was pretty simple, so that took very little time. She started to think about Emma, which was apparently her brain’s default of late, then quickly forced it onto another subject. She watched the moon out the window. It was bright and full and lovely, and all of the sudden, she was reminded of her friend Red from childhood. She had not had many friends, but Red had loved to play wolves and pretend to howl at the moon.

 

She hadn’t seen the girl in probably fifteen years, but every once in a while, she would see a full moon and think of her.

 

Well, there was another few minutes gone by, anyway.

 

But it was still hours until the sunrise, and she had nothing to do. She glanced around the room, but it was bare other than the teapot still sitting on the floor by the door. The tincture had been lost during the storm at sea that she had slept through, but they still had Regina’s dry stash. Regina had brewed some tea after Emma left, having asked the innkeeper to bring up a pot of steaming water. Thankfully the tea was not as bitter as the tincture, but Regina certainly would not be drinking it for pleasure anytime soon.

 

She supposed she could go downstairs and join Emma at cards, but she was not in the mood for a roomful of strangers.

 

Maybe she would go down and ask Emma if she wanted to bring a deck of cards up to the room. But on the other hand, maybe Emma was winning money, in which case Regina wouldn’t want to stand in the way of that.

 

So she stayed in bed, annoyed and restless, watching as the moon seemingly refused to budge even a centimeter to mark the passage of time.

 

She was just beginning to get drowsy when loud footsteps sounded in the hallway and the door to the room banged open.

 

Regina shot up in bed, immediately grabbing for the dagger under her pillow, but it was only Emma.

 

Her face was in shadow, silhouetted as she was by the dim light from the hall, but Regina could immediately tell something was wrong.

 

She shut the door behind her without a word, latched it, and sat down on the other side of the bed, bending down to remove her boots.

 

“Sorry if I woke you,” she muttered after a few moments of silence.

 

“‘Tis alright. I couldn’t sleep.” She hesitated. “Bad game?”

 

Emma let out a dark laugh. “No, actually. It was a great game. Amazing. I won more money than I’ve ever gotten in a single hand before.”

 

“Then-” Regina’s desire not to pry warred with her need to know more, to provide comfort or advice if she could.

 

She vaguely remembered a time when she would not have cared, would not have wanted to know anything except what was related to the mission.

 

Now she wanted to know everything.

 

Emma removed her other shirt from her pack, stood, and without warning, tugged her tunic over her head. Regina held back a gasp and immediately shifted her eyes to watch as the shirt fell to the floor, purposefully ignoring the vast expanse of Emma’s back that had been revealed by the movement.

 

Still, the smooth skin was in her head now, another visual she had not needed at all.

 

Then she finally realized what she was looking at, let her eyes focus on the tunic in a crumpled heap on the floor. It had fallen directly into a shaft of moonlight, and Regina could see dark crimson stains on the fabric.

 

She frowned, glancing back to find Emma clothed again. “Are you injured?”

 

“No.” She paused. “Well, nothing severe. The blood is from someone else. Several someone elses.”

 

“Emma, what happened?”

 

“I used the necklace.”

 

“ _What_?” Regina’s voice was so loud it practically bounced off the walls of the near-silent room. She lowered her tone to a fierce whisper. “Emma, what the _hell_?”

 

Emma sighed, sitting on the foot of the bed, facing away from her.

 

“I won a lot in that card game. A _lot_. I was playing with a group of five locals, all men, all very large. They all knew each other, and they were all drunk. One of them accused me of cheating, and the next thing I know, they were dragging me out of the room. I offered to give back the money, but the biggest one just laughed. He said, ‘Oh, we’ll get back our money after we teach you a lesson.’ Then he started bragging about how many bones he’d broken in the last guy who had cheated against him.”

 

“Oh, no,” Regina breathed. She moved up the bed, so she could see the other woman’s profile. She couldn’t help the urge to reach toward Emma, but she let her hand pause in mid-air, almost touching Emma’s shoulder but not quite.

 

“The barkeeper believed them when they said I’d cheated, just shrugged and went about his business. So they took me out to the stables, and I’m a good fighter, but these guys were huge. I knocked out two of them, but then one got my stomach and I couldn’t breathe, and I dropped my dagger somewhere in the straw. I...I knew I wasn’t going to be able to take out the rest. Then I remembered that I had the necklace in my pocket. I didn’t even hesitate. I took it out, and one of them dove for it, thinking it was a knife. I barely got it over my head, but the second I did...I won’t ever forget the looks on their faces.” She shuddered. “Don’t get me wrong, I would do it again. I don’t know if they would have killed me, but they would have come close. But their _eyes_. They were glazed over and huge and looking at me like I was the most precious thing they had ever seen. One of them was still holding my shirt, though, and the other two started attacking him without hesitating. They were vicious. They probably would have killed him if I hadn’t stopped it.”

 

Emma paused, and Regina waited for her to continue. She saw Emma playing with the necklace, toying with it in her hands.

 

“But I did. Once I could breathe, I told them all to stop fighting. I said that I was leaving that night and that if they wanted to join me, they would have to find the ship leaving for Therrihan and buy a ticket. They all started running toward the docks, and I came here. I didn’t take off the necklace until I was right in front of this door.”

 

“Emma. It wasn’t your fault. You just did what you had to do to survive.” Regina laid a hand gently on Emma’s forearm, and Emma gasped and jerked her arm away. Regina looked down, and a few tiny crimson dots had seeped through where she had touched.

 

“You are hurt,” Regina said admonishingly. She moved to get the salve and a strip of linen from her pack.

 

“One of them had a knife. Probably more,” Emma admitted. “But ‘tisn’t bad.” She rolled up her sleeve and exposed the wound, a clean cut about two inches long across her forearm. When Regina knelt in front of Emma and inspected it more closely, she was relieved to see that it was not very deep.

 

“You don’t have to-”

 

“Let me,” Regina said, then looked up to find Emma staring at her oddly. “Do you mind?”

 

Emma shook her head. “No, ‘tis fine.”

 

“Good. You’re the one who’s hurt, so just relax.”

 

At that, Emma’s mouth lifted in a small smile, and Regina was relieved to see it. In all the days she had known Emma, she had never seen her so serious for so long, even when they were fighting ogres and defeating a madman. “You’re acting like I’m bleeding out, Regina. I’ve scraped myself worse on tree branches.”

 

“You know, you might avoid that if you were more careful.”

 

“I’ve tried that before,” Emma said lightly, wincing slightly as Regina dabbed salve along the cut. “It never seems to work very well for me.”

 

“Well, keep trying.”

 

“You worried about me now?”  


“Possibly,” Regina said, and now she was the one biting back a smile, pretending that wrapping the linen around Emma’s arm took all of her focus. And it did take more focus than usual, because Emma’s arm was warm and soft, and she was suddenly so close. She had to retie the bandage twice because her fingers were unsteady, and she had the strangest urge to press her lips to the faint scars that encircled Emma’s wrists. Instead, she moved down to Emma’s knuckles, swollen and mangled, and she dabbed at them gently.

 

She looked up to find Emma still looking at her, a soft smile on her face, and suddenly Regina completely lost the ability to breathe. Maybe she was having a delayed...what was that, when people experienced pains when someone they were close to was beginning to give birth?

 

Maybe this was that, a delayed reaction to hearing Emma couldn’t breathe during her fight.

 

Or maybe it was that she was staring into the eyes of the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. A woman who was kind and impulsive, intelligent and hilarious, prone to talking way too much and yet somehow just the right amount.

 

A woman she wanted to kiss more than she wanted to breathe.

 

A woman with lovely eyes and lips that looked so incredibly soft, and who was leaning toward her until their mouths brushed softly.

 

Regina inhaled sharply at the contact, and Emma smelled like woodsmoke and warm skin, and Regina’s blood sang. She felt a thrill wash through her, starting in her stomach and radiating from the top of her head to the tips of her toes.

 

Emma leaned back a fraction.

 

“Is this okay?”

 

Words were impossible, and instead, Regina just moved forward and caressed Emma’s lips with her own. She slid her hands up and grasped Emma’s shoulders, praying she was not hurt there, because Regina longed to touch her, to draw as close as she could to this woman who had become so dear in such a short period of time.

 

Regina showed her in every touch of their lips, how much Emma meant to her. And then Emma’s tongue swiped gently at her lips, asking for entry, and Regina granted it immediately.

 

If she had not already been kneeling, her knees might have collapsed at that first touch of Emma’s tongue against hers. A wave of want swept over her so intensely that she made a noise in her throat, unashamed, and she couldn’t press any closer, so she tugged Emma’s head down even more.

 

“Get up here,” Emma muttered against her lips. She scooted back while Regina followed her, breathing against her mouth, as she climbed up on the bed, knees on either side of Emma’s lap.

 

She let her hands rove freely, but paused when she ran over a spot on her ribs that made Emma flinch away. She moved them back to Emma’s hair, reaching behind her to untie the leather thong and let the waves cascade down her back. Regina ran her hands over the blonde curls, some distant shred of pragmatism knowing that if she tried to run her fingers through them, she would probably just wind up yanking knots. A vision appeared in her head at the thought. She wanted to sit in a bedroom, just the two of them, in front of a roaring fire, and run a brush through Emma’s hair until it shone, bright and soft. She wanted Emma, her head lolled back, completely relaxed, in no sort of danger.

 

The thought was dangerously domestic, and Regina banished it, attacking Emma’s lips fiercely with her own, focusing on what she could have. What she wanted, and what it seemed like Emma wanted, too.

 

Then Emma’s mouth shifted to her throat, and Regina moved to gently palm Emma’s breasts through her tunic.

 

Emma groaned against her throat, so Regina did it again. This time, Emma’s teeth scraped lightly against the delicate skin, and it should have hurt, but Regina shuddered in nothing but pleasure. Emma licked at the spot, soothing it, and Regina-

 

Regina did nothing, because suddenly, Emma reared back like she had been stung by a bee.

 

“Oh god. Oh no. No no no.”

 

Regina rolled to the side so Emma could stand, a hand to her head. The necklace tumbled from her lap onto the floor, but she paid it no heed.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

“Nothing. Nothing’s wrong. You didn’t do anything wrong,” she said, shoving her feet into her boots so quickly she nearly tripped and fell.

 

It would have been comical if Regina’s heart hadn’t sunk to the vicinity of her guts, her mind reeling.

 

“I don’t understand. I’m sorry if-”

 

“‘Tis not you. You didn’t do anything wrong,” she repeated again.

 

“But-”

 

“I’ll see you in the morning.”

 

“ _Emma._ ”

 

But Emma ignored her, instead disappearing out the door and shutting it quietly behind her.

 

Regina stared at the door, willing time to go backwards, willing Emma to return and clear up what on earth had just happened.

 

But after more and more time passed, it became clear that was not going to happen.

 

Chapter Six

 

Regina finally dozed off sometime around dawn, getting maybe an hour of sleep before the innkeeper banged on the door as a wakeup call.

 

Emma had not returned.

 

Regina carefully picked up the necklace from where it had fallen on the floor after Emma’s hasty departure. She tucked it away safely in her bag, laced her eoranth necklace around her neck, and went downstairs to find something to eat.

 

She knew Emma would not have run off. She was not the type to abandon a mission, especially one so crucial, even though Regina would have been able to handle the remainder alone.

 

But Emma had said she would see her in the morning, and she would not have said that if she intended to do otherwise.

 

Regina need not have worried. Emma was sitting at a table in the dim common room, forking food into her mouth with gusto, despite the fact that she looked bedraggled and exhausted.

 

“Did you sleep in the stables?” Regina asked as she sat down at the table.

 

“I didn’t sleep at all,” Emma said, not meeting her eyes.

 

Regina frowned. “You need to sleep. We can put off the journey a couple hours.”

 

“I can go without sleep. I’ve done it plenty of times before.”

 

“But that was before the eoranth. You know we’ve been weaker since-”

 

“Regina.” Emma cut her off, finally looking in her eye. “We’re going to ride some horses into a forest and take a sledgehammer to a necklace. I don’t need to be in prime condition for that. Besides, you’re as strong as I am, remember? We established that on the first day.” Emma smiled, but it was not her usual type of smile. It did nothing to light up her eyes, which were still distant, bordering on cold.

 

It made Regina’s stomach hurt, and when the innkeeper’s wife appeared and asked if she wanted anything to eat, she merely requested two cold biscuits to eat on the road.

 

Emma was avoiding her gaze again, and they finished their food in silence.

 

It was a theme that continued throughout the day.

 

They met with Mulan, the Captain of the Guard who was also a Council member, to borrow horses, and Emma was silent.

 

They procured a hammer and a large, flat rock, and Emma was silent.

 

They rode the three hours to the edge of Wintermis Wood, and Emma was silent.

 

Regina, who would once have begged for this woman’s silence, now ached at it. With no conversation and no plans to occupy her mind, all she could do was replay the night before over and over in her mind. The only conclusion she could reach was that Emma regretted their kiss.

 

Regina just wished that Emma would say so. She was an adult; she had been rejected before.

 

Admittedly, it had never hurt so much in the past, but still, she would deal with it.

 

But Emma was so withdrawn that she nearly seemed to be in a different world. Regina attempted conversation a couple of times, but Emma’s answers were monosyllabic and flat. She never ignored her, and she was polite, but she was clearly not interested in engaging.

 

Finally, when they reached the Wood, she said her first full sentence in hours. “How far in do you think we need to be?”

 

“I’m not sure. Perhaps half a mile or so? Just to be safe.”

 

Emma nodded, then spurred her horse forward, and Regina urged her own steed in after them.

 

Regina had half-expected some sort of dramatic shift in the air when they passed the treeline, but there was no difference at all. The wood was thick and blocked most of the sunlight, but it felt exactly the same.

 

She prayed that the stories about its lack of magic were true.

 

They tied the horses to a tree branch and left them with some oats, unpacking the hammer and rock and moving further into the forest and away from the horses. Regina had no desire to spook the horses with the noise and then spend the next hour waiting for them to calm down. They traveled deeper into the wood, in a single file through the crowded trees. She marked their way with strips of linen cloth tied around branches. This was her duty, because Emma had insisted on being the one to carry the rock, despite the fact that it was ridiculously heavy. But they could not chance being left without a solid place to destroy the necklace. Finally, they came to a spot that was not quite a clearing, and Emma halted, Regina stopping immediately behind her.

 

Emma dropped the rock on the ground, taking a few moments to catch her breath. Regina pretended not to notice her strained breathing while she set the sledgehammer on the ground. She took out her pack and unwrapped the Necklace of Nimue, looking at it.

 

Here, the jewel merely looked like part of a regular necklace. It had no unnatural shine, unlike before, and in comparison it seemed almost dull.

 

“It looks so different,” Emma said, echoing her thoughts, and Regina nodded in agreement.

 

“Here we go.” She placed the necklace on the rock, and Emma picked up the hammer She hoisted it over her head, the long oak handle like a huge, threatening extension of her arm, and she brought it down in a straight swing.

 

Regina almost expected the hammer to bounce right off, doing no damage whatsoever.

 

Instead, the jewel broke cleanly in half.

 

Emma paused, mouth agape, clearly as startled as Regina was. And then she grinned a little, lifted the hammer of her head once more, and brought it down with a solid _clunk_. This time, she hit the chain, which broke apart.

 

“Do you mind?” Regina held out her hand.

 

Emma handed over the hammer, and Regina took two swings, both at the jewel, and by the end of her turn, it was split into seven jagged, uneven fragments. She swung once more for good measure, breaking the chain at a different spot.

 

The remnants of the necklace were spread across the rock.

 

Surely it wasn’t that easy.

 

But it seemed like it was. Merlin had been convinced.

 

“We did it.” Emma echoed the words she had said after the ogre incident. Only this time, she was almost incredulous, and Regina was, too.

 

“Yes, we did,” Regina breathed, and when Emma met her gaze, she smiled the most radiant, beautiful smile Regina had ever seen.

 

##

 

“That was much easier than I’d anticipated,” Emma said as they traced their path back through the Wood.

 

“Almost unbelievably so. We’ll see what happens when we cross back into magic.” Regina could not quite bring herself to believe that the necklace would be so easily defeated. It had held such immense power; it seemed odd that all it needed to do was lose a protection spell in order to be completely destroyed. Besides, it was possible the pieces might have power on their own. Would they be individually as strong as the whole, or would each part have a smaller bit of the power based on its size relative to the whole necklace?

 

Regina shook her head. She could easily see the end of the forest less than a minute’s walk ahead of them, so they would find out soon.

 

She prayed to every single Goddess - none of them ruled specifically over magic, so she was unsure which to single out - that they had finished the job. She did not know how to proceed otherwise.

 

Finally, they came to the edge of the Wood, untied their horses, and stepped back out into the light. Again, Regina felt no different outside the trees than she had felt within them.

 

But when she reached for the small leather pouch where she had stowed the pieces of the necklace-

 

“Emma!”

 

Her voice must have been more panicked than she realized, because Emma whirled around with her sword halfway unsheathed, her eyes scanning all around Regina for a threat of any sort. Then she looked at the pouch in Regina’s hand.

 

It was almost flat in her upturned palm, despite the fact that it was not light enough to be empty. So Regina used her other hand to cautiously undo the ties, then angled it toward the sun and inspected the contents within the bag.

 

She let out a bewildered laugh.

 

“What is it?” Emma asked.

 

“Ash.” Regina laughed once more, sticking a finger inside and feeling absolutely no trace of the magic that Necklace had formerly held. She pulled her finger back out, and it was coated in a light dusting of grey. She held it up for Emma’s inspection, then wiped it away on her trousers.

 

Emma took her pouch for herself and stuck her finger inside, scrutinizing the ash and even going so far as to sniff it.

 

Then she threw her head up to the sky and crowed in victory.

 

She mounted her horse with an amazing amount of energy for someone who had not slept the night before, and Regina tied up the pouch, tucked it in her pack, and followed suit.

 

They started back in the direction they had come, toward Ynenas. They remained quiet, and Regina stewed over the fact that she did not feel accomplished as she would have thought. She felt almost...underwhelmed. And slightly melancholy.

 

It was likely because of strangeness of it all, she rationalized. There had been no grand fights, no adrenaline-fueled last-minute rescues. Without magic protecting it, this object of immense and terrible power, this thing for which they had weakened their own bodies in order to form some sort of protection, had been destroyed in a few swings of a hammer.

 

Maybe it was that they needed closure. They needed something to mark that the task had been completed.

 

“We should dump this into the sea,” Regina said, just as thought popped into her head. Emma turned toward her, startled. She sat up straighter in her seat, acting as though she had thought out the concept calmly and rationally and had not blurted it the moment it occurred to her. It did make sense, with a few more seconds of thought behind it. It would be a good way to scatter the remnants and make sure they were as destroyed as possible. “Just to be safe.”

 

“Probably a good idea,” Emma agreed. In silent agreement, they shifted their horses slightly to the east, so they would come upon the cliffs rather than the castle.

 

The cliffs were right outside of Ynenas, which meant that they were still at least a two hour ride away. They lapsed into a long silence again, and when Regina glanced over at Emma, she could see her mouth twisted into a frown.

 

She would give anything to see her smile again.

 

The thought was surprising, yet not.

 

She definitely had feelings for this woman. And not merely feelings where she wanted to press her lips to every inch of Emma’s skin - though she most definitely had those as well.

 

No, she had the type of feelings where she wanted Emma to smile. She wanted to be the _reason_ Emma smiled. The thought of leaving her behind left a hollow feeling in her stomach, like she would be leaving a part of her soul behind.

 

Tiphaete was a _bitch_. The Goddess of Love was definitely moving down the list to her least favorite of the Four.

 

She had to go and fall in love, true love, for the first time in her life, and it was with a woman she would likely never see again after they sailed back to Yalia. Not only that, but it was with a woman who did not even seem to feel the same way.

 

And yet.

 

Yet, Emma had kissed her with something like feeling.

 

Regina shook her head to herself.

 

No, whatever Emma had felt in the moment, be it impulsivity or lust or what have you, her mysterious objections clearly outweighed it. Regina tried not to feel hurt at the thought. Perhaps she already had a lover? She did not think so, given some of Emma’s previous comments, but what did she know? What did she truly know about Emma, anyway?

 

She knew that she was good and kind, impulsive and ridiculous and prone to naming things that needed no name.

 

In short, she knew enough.

 

The silence stretched on longer and longer, until Regina thought she was not going to be able to bear it for another second.

 

She nearly laughed at the thought. What a change in situation from the first days of their journey.

 

Finally, she could hear the crash of waves against the rocks, and a few minutes later, they reached their destination. The view was absolutely stunning. The sun was just beginning to set, washing the blue of the sky with a vague hint of peach, coming to meet the dark indigo of the sea at the point where her eyes could see the farthest. She suddenly understood Moana’s need to explore, to find out what else was out there. After all, Regina knew from her maps that she was looking directly toward Yalia, but she could not see it. Who knew of there were other islands, whole other kingdoms of people out there, people living their own lives. She wondered about their buildings, their clothes, their tools, what would be similar and what would be different.

 

She took a deep breath of the fresh sea air, the wind whipping her hair around, and closed her eyes.

 

After the moment of peace, she reached into her pack and retrieved the bag that held the ash, formerly the Necklace of Nimue.

 

She looked inside it once more to ensure nothing had changed, and Emma did as well. They both shuffled their fingers through the ash until they were certain there was nothing, not even a speck, of anything that resembled gold or jewels.

 

And then Regina stepped toward the very edge of the cliff, Emma slightly behind her, clasping Regina’s left hand with her right. Ostensibly for safety’s sake, but Regina thought she might also be lending her support in this last act of destruction.

 

Regina dumped out the pouch and watched as the ash blew lightly away on the wind, scattering in all directions. It was too fine to watch for long, and before more than a few moments had passed, there was no evidence of the grey dust at all. Regina shook out the pouch several more times, getting out every single bit of ash, until there was nothing.

 

Then she looked down toward the sea.

 

This was it.

 

They really were finished.

 

By unspoken agreement, they stood there for a few more moments. They would need to head back toward Ynenas soon. It would probably take them the better part of an hour or more to reach the castle, and they did not want to be out wandering about after dark.

 

But they could take a few more moments. It was so peaceful, after all. It was not often in Regina’s life that she got to see a visual like this. Especially standing beside someone this important to her.

 

Suddenly, she realized that Emma had not dropped her hand. She was still clasping it tightly, even though the deed was done and they had both backed away far enough from the cliff’s edge that they were in no danger of falling.

 

“I’m sorry.” Emma’s voice was rough, as though the words had been torn from her throat.

 

Regina glanced over questioningly, but Emma’s gaze remained on the sea.

 

“About last night,” Emma clarified, still looking away from Regina. “I’m sorry,” she said again.

 

“You have nothing to apologize for,” Regina said carefully.

 

Emma scoffed, but Regina pressed on.

 

“Emma, we’re both adults. There is no harm in a kiss. Unless you have someone else-”

 

Emma roughly shook her head.

 

“Then there’s nothing- at least, nothing I can think of, that could possibly warrant causing you this much distress. We certainly don’t need to repeat it, but as consenting adults, we-”

 

“But we weren’t!” Emma exploded.

 

“What?” Regina frowned.

 

“The _fucking_ necklace.”

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“The necklace. I was wearing it. I made you kiss me.”

 

“You were not, and you did no such thing.”

 

“I was wearing it until I stepped into the room, and I held it the entire time. You weren’t wearing your eoranth vial around your neck,” she ticked off one finger.

 

“I bathed. It was on the nightstand.”

 

Emma ignored her. “You didn’t have any of the tincture at dinner that night, because I lost it during the storm.” She ticked off another finger. “And worst, you barely had more than a few leaves of it the entire trip over here. You had none in your system, nothing to defend yourself. And then I sweep in there, and I...I’m so sorry. I wanted to do it right.”

 

Regina’s heart leapt in her throat at the last words, but Emma was clearly still in distress.

 

“Emma, please look at me.”

 

For a moment, she thought Emma would refuse, but she finally complied. Her eyes were full of agony, and Regina’s chest hurt on her behalf.

 

“Listen to me.” She reached out and grabbed Emma’s other hand. “First, and most importantly, that necklace? It only works when worn about the neck, not only held. You _know_ that. It did nothing when you took it from Padraic. It did nothing until you put it on against the men. That’s simply how its power works.” Emma nodded. “Secondly, I brewed some eoranth tea after you went downstairs to play cards. So I wasn’t completely helpless, nor do I particularly care for the implication. And thirdly,” she inched closer, and Emma’s eyes were beginning to clear, a sparkle of hope shining through. “I’ve wanted to kiss you since you ran into me that first night at the inn.”

 

The sparkle grew as Emma laughed aloud.

 

“So, sorry, but we’re not blaming this on some stupid necklace. We kissed because you’re infuriating and beautiful, and I couldn’t stop thinking about how soft your lips looked.”

 

Emma made a sound that was a kind of choked laugh. “How’d they hold up?”

 

Regina grinned. “Well, I would tell you, but honestly, my sampling was cut unfortunately short, so I’m not sure I got an adequate sample for a fair study.”

 

“So, would you say you need another go to expand your knowledge?”

 

“In the interest of research, I think that would be a wise idea.”

 

Emma closed the distance between their lips, and Regina sighed into the kiss. Despite her words, Regina was absolutely certain that her impression of Emma’s lips had been that they rivaled paradise itself, and this time proved no different. She let her fingers explore Emma’s face, her neck, her shoulders. Their lips brushed once more before Emma tilted her head and deepened the kiss, Regina groaning deep in her throat at the action. She kissed back with gusto, as though she had never wanted anything in her life as much as she wanted to continue kissing Emma.

 

And there was no reason to stop.

 

So they didn’t. Not for a long while. Regina let her hands roam everywhere, memorizing the feel of Emma’s soft skin, of the way Emma’s hip felt grasped in the palm of her hand.

 

Eventually, they slowed the kiss again, which was just as well because Regina needed air and also did not fancy the idea of getting naked in the open air.

 

Well, the open air was negotiable, but the decidedly rough and uneven cliff rocks were not.

 

Emma’s lips caressed hers so gently that Regina felt tears prick at her eyelids, much to her absolute horror. But then she fell into the feeling, letting her chest emanate warmth and energy, and it seemed to come out in a big bubble of light the encompassed Emma and drew her even closer.

 

Regina never wanted to let her go. But she would have to, if they were going to avoid getting lost in the dark on their way back to the castle.

 

Grasping onto her last thread of sanity, Regina drew away. Her lips felt tender and swollen, and her heart much the same.

 

“We should be getting back.” Her voice was raspy, and Emma grinned at it. She dropped one quick peck against Regina’s lips and stepped backward.

 

“So pragmatic.”

 

“You say that like it is a bad thing.”

 

“Not at all. I’ve grown rather fond of it, actually.” Emma smirked. “Might even have to look into developing some of it myself.”

 

“That will be the day.”

 

“‘Tis unlikely, I admit,” Emma said with a cavalier smile that should have made Regina want to roll her eyes. She rolled them, but only because what she really wanted to do was smile back, and she knew Emma knew it.

 

##

 

After returning the horses to Mulan at the castle, they made their way to an inn on the other side of the city from the one the night before. This one came at a dearer cost, but Regina was willing to pay if it meant that Emma would not be in danger of being spotted from the brutes from last night.

 

They ate first, partaking in one of the best meals Regina had eaten in a very long time. And it was not only because her stomach was finally back up to full strength; the room was packed with far too many people to only be guests at the inn. Clearly people nearby ate here, as well. Regina could not blame them.

 

“This is delicious,” Emma said, in an echo of her own thoughts.

 

“Maybe ‘tis only because we know we don’t have a tincture waiting to ruin it when we’re finished.”

 

Emma laughed. “Finally! I thought we would never be free.” She took another bite, then asked, “What do you want to do about the room situation?”

 

Regina took a bite of fried potatoes to buy herself some time. They were just the right amount of crisp, salty and delicious. Finally, she swallowed, and asked, “What do you mean?”  
  
“Well...technically, the deed is done. We don’t have to stay together anymore. I could get my own room if you wanted.”

 

“Is that what you want?”

 

Emma eyed her speculatively. “Honestly? No.”

 

A tide of relief, and something else, something warmer, that set her on fire. “Me neither”

 

Emma’s eyes darkened, and Regina purposefully licked the vestiges of grease off her lips. The other woman’s eyes glazed over, watching the movement.

 

Emma cleared her throat and went back to her food. “I, er. I would like to bathe first, though. I feel like I haven’t been clean in a month. You’d likely run the second I lifted my arms to remove my shirt.”

 

Regina guffawed. “Developed some pragmatism of you own, after all, have you?”

 

Emma grinned back at her. “Apparently I have. Must be catching.”

 

##

 

Regina stayed downstairs to give Emma some privacy while she bathed. She nursed a single goblet of spiced wine, in the company of a friendly elderly halfling lady at the bar. She was not particularly enjoying the company, rather impatient as she was feeling. But it was easy enough to listen as the woman chatted amiably away, talking about her grandchildren and requiring very little response from Regina other than the occasional sound or monosyllabic comment.

 

When she judged that enough time had passed that Emma should have finished her ablutions, she said goodnight to the woman, and climbed the stairs to their room.

 

Her heart thrummed in her chest in anticipation.

 

She peeked her head in first, keeping her eyes closed. “Are you decent?”

 

“Finally. I have been for nigh on half an hour. I was about to go downstairs and find you.”

 

Regina opened her eyes to find Emma lounging in the bed against the wall, clad in a clean white nightshirt she had never seen before.

 

“I wanted to give you time!”

 

“I was just bathing, not performing a ritual sacrifice. How dirty do you think I was?”

 

“Well, given-”

 

“Never mind, don’t answer that.” Emma smiled at her, her eyes happy and light, and this was exactly the way Regina had longed to see her again. None of the distant coldness from this morning. Now she seemed content and happy.

 

Then a shadow crossed her eyes before she broke eye contact, and Regina instinctively knew she was about to say something important. She shut the door behind her and walked forward, perching on the foot of the bed.

 

“Sorry I was such a bear today,” Emma said.

 

Regina shrugged, a little mystified as to why they were going back to this subject. “‘Tis okay. You were working things out.”

 

“I just…” she trailed off, then started again, staring at the white sheets of the bed with intensity. “There are things from my past I haven’t told you. I know what it is like to have no choice. To be subject to the will of another.” Seemingly without conscious thought, she rubbed at her wrists through the nightshirt, where Regina knew scars rested. She had long assumed they were from shackles, as she had never seen anything else make marks like that, but the full truth would come one day if Emma ever chose to share it. “I would never wish that on another person, much less one I care about.”

 

Regina felt tears beginning to gather in her eyes, and she moved forward on the bed and pressed a soft kiss to Emma’s lips.

 

Emma looked at her with a tremulous smile, and when Emma took her in her arms, Regina knew she would not be leaving until morning.

 

##

 

They had several more days until the next trade ship - the one they would have been on board, if it hadn’t been for Moana and Naomi - arrived from Therrihan, ready to make the journey back to Yalia.

 

They spent it keeping a low profile. Emma did not join any more wagering games, and they spent most of their time together. They went to the market and purchased fresh fruit, walked along the cliffs, and on the third day, the city erupted in festivities celebrating celebrating the tenth year of Queen Aurora’s reign. It was easy to get lost in the crowds, so cheerfully boisterous and perfect for anonymity.

 

They never discussed their future, or the lack thereof.

 

It was on the tip of Regina’s tongue so many times. When Emma rubbed her thumb along Regina’s knuckles and pressed a gentle kiss to her hand. When they were curled around each other at night, sated and skin-to-skin. When they were watching the parade and the two grey-haired ladies in front of them bickered merrily and kissed and suddenly set off a longing in Regina’s heart for something she had never quite acknowledged.

 

Still, she said nothing.

 

There was no reason to bring expectations into this. She would only ruin their precious hours together by pressing unwanted expectations onto Emma. Instead, she would enjoy this perfect stretch of time while it lasted.

 

But last it did not. In fact, the days passed so quickly she felt as though she had barely had time to blink, and she woke the morning of the ship’s departure with an ache in her heart.

 

This would be her last few hours with Emma.

 

Granted, they still had the week on board the ship before they reached Yalia. But there would be no privacy.

 

One good thing, however, was that Regina was sure this would be a better trip than her last at sea - after all, she had procured the calming thistle Emma had suggested for seasickness, and they were no longer taking the eoranth, so Regina had returned to her former strength and vigor. Which was, as Emma had pointed out with a wicked smile the night before, rather convenient for other activities as well.

 

She pressed a kiss to Emma’s hair, and the blonde roused from sleep with a yawn.

 

“Is it time to leave?” she asked groggily, peering out the window where the sun had just peeked over the horizon.

 

“Not yet.”

 

Emma sat up a bit and stretched, then settled in closer to Regina.

 

“Good.” She reached over and pressed a quick kiss to Regina’s left nipple, and Regina chuckled.

 

“One thing on your mind, I see,” she teased.

 

“Listen, if anyone ever looks at you naked and _doesn’t_ want to do this,” Emma said, shifting over her and pressing kisses to her sternum, and the further down to her navel. “You should run away, because they are clearly under some sort of spell and probably there to kill you.”

 

“That’s quite the leap of- _oh_ ” Emma’s mouth had reached its destination, and Regina lost the capability to carry on conversation for the next few minutes. Though she did emit a few words that were not suitable for polite company.

 

When Emma brought her over the peak, she had to bite back a scream and collapsed against the pillow, panting.

 

“If we’re going to do that every morning, I might never leave this bed.”

 

There were heavier thoughts behind her words, but if Emma realized, she did not acknowledge them. She just smirked as she crawled back up the bed next to Regina.

 

“Sounds like an excellent strategy to me. I’m sure we could bribe someone to bring us sustenance.”

 

“Just not quite yet,” Regina said with a grin, and she rolled over on top of Emma and brought their lips together.

 

##

 

A few hours after they boarded the ship, Regina cautiously began allowing herself to think that this journey might not be so bad. She could not be sure if it was the thistle, the lack of eoranth, or the fact that the trade ship was larger and therefore did not toss about nearly as much as Moana’s small vessel had.

 

Whatever the reason, she found by the evening that while she certainly did not have a large appetite, she seemed to be experiencing no other adverse effects.

 

She was grateful, both because she did not want to be reduced to that sick, sleepy hell again, and because it meant several more days in Emma’s company. While Regina had only enough Council money for two cots in the common sleeping room, she and Emma decided to add a few dhysars of their personal funds to secure one of the only two private quarters.

 

It was small and not particularly luxurious, but they were away from prying eyes, which Regina appreciated. She had no desire to spend the rest of their trip stuck in inane conversation with any of the few dozen other guests. Not when she could be spending time with Emma instead, curled against her, reading a book while Emma wrote on a blank sheet of paper at her side.

 

“What are you writing?”

 

Emma’s movements halted. “Ah, I’m…” she shrugged with a strange sort of smile on her face. “I’m not.”

 

Regina’s brow furrowed, and Emma tilted the page so she could see.

 

It was a sketch of Regina, standing next to a tree with a branch in her arm, raised like she was about to duel. She had an intense look on her face, ready to take down whoever she faced with her bare hands if necessary.

 

Regina nearly laughed because it matched her thoughts on that first day so perfectly. She had been so sure Emma would be nothing but a hindrance.

 

“I had no idea you could draw.”

 

Emma shrugged again and rubbed a hand against the back of her neck. “‘Tis only a hobby. I’m no artist.”

 

“I beg to differ. This is amazing.”

 

“You can have it. If you want?”

 

“Just try to take it from me.”

 

Emma grinned.

 

“I only wish I could draw you one in return. But I’m afraid an unidentifiable blob wouldn’t be nearly as romantic.”

 

“Oh, so wanting to run me through with a tree branch is romantic now?”

 

“I beg your pardon, but I only ever hit within the appointed rules.”

 

“But you wanted to do more,” Emma teased. “You know it.”

 

Regina held her head high. “Regardless, I did not. Anyway, one day we’ll have a rematch with actual practice swords, and you’ll be forced to admit that I am truly the superior swordswoman.”

 

Regina could have hit herself in the head. Not only had she said the word “romantic,” she had now implied that they had some sort of future together. She had to return to reality, but it was so hard to do when all she did was spend time with Emma.

 

Emma laughed softly but did not reply. She ran a finger lightly in little circles around Regina’s hip, and her expression grew so serious that Regina’s heart sank.

 

“Regina, I-”

 

Regina sprung up from the bed so quickly that she landed funnily on her right ankle and felt a throb of pain shoot up her leg.

 

“I’m starving. Aren’t you?”

 

Emma frowned. “Not really.”

 

“Ah, well, I am. Would you like me to bring you back anything from the galley?” Regina asked, pausing before she opened the door. When she looked back, she could not read Emma’s expression.

 

“I’m fine,” was all she said, and Regina left the room and closed the door behind her with a sigh. She knew they had no future, but she could not bear to listen as Emma said the words to her face.

 

She shook her head. Perhaps she should just tell Emma. Put it out into the open.

 

After all, while Emma might reject her, or it might turn things awkward, there was always the possibility that Emma did feel the same way.

 

Regina made her way down to the galley, not because she was truly hungry, but because it was something to do while she mulled over her thoughts. She grabbed a bit of hard tack and bit into it, chewing meditatively as she meandered back to the room.

 

When she opened the door, though, she found the room empty.

 

Emma had probably gone onto the main deck. She loved to watch the sky and the waves, and Regina could not blame her, even though she resented the waves a bit.

 

Just as she had predicted, a quick scan of the main deck revealed Emma standing at the rails amid the fifteen or so others wandering about, her blonde hair blowing in the wind because she had not tied it back.

 

Regina took a deep breath and approached her. There was no one within several feet of them, and the wind made enough noise that it would cover their words from curious eavesdroppers.

 

“I’m afraid I owe you an apology,” she said, coming to a halt at the rails beside Emma. She rested her forearms against the sides and leaned forward a bit, matching the other woman’s posture.

 

Emma turned toward her, curiosity and, if Regina was not mistaken, a flare of hope in her eyes.

 

“Why is that?”

 

“I broke my promise.”

 

Emma’s expression pulled into a frown, clearly trying to recall a vow Regina may have broken.

 

Regina looked out at the sea. “I promised not to fall in love with you, and, well…” Regina cleared her throat. “I have. So, there, punish me how you will.” She meant the last bit as a jest, but it came out oddly, a little flat, like she could not quite inject it with enough humor to make it effective.

 

Which was entirely true, because her heart was beating so hard she was half afraid it would jump right out of her chest and land in the ocean, sinking to the bottom for some mermaid to find and add to their collection of strange objects.

 

This strange turn of thought was interrupted when Emma spoke.

 

“I’m afraid that wouldn’t be quite fair.”

 

Regina turned her head to look at her, and Emma leaned a little closer. “See, I fell in love with you, too. So it probably wouldn’t do to punish you.”

 

Her heart picked up speed even more, this time from excitement.

 

She tried to keep her rone casual. “To be fair, though, you made no such promise. You’re free to love me.” Regina said, and she was smiling, even if her voice emerged a bit rough.

 

“Well, I hereby release you from your vow. You’re free to love me at will.”

 

Regina swallowed against the tears threatening to gather in her throat, and a grin spread across her face. “Good.”

 

She leaned forward, and they kissed once, softly, lingeringly, before turning to look out at the horizon again. This time, Emma moved so that they were pressed together, side-to-side, and Regina linked their hands together and leaned her head against Emma’s shoulder.

 

“You should know, though…” Regina hesitated, unsure whether now was the right time to bring this up.

 

“Yes?”

 

“I don’t intend to give this up. Not for a while yet. I enjoy my work.”

 

Love or not, Regina could not imagine settling down and working at a boring job while there was still so much to do for the Council. The Four Kingdoms were alive with things that demanded their attention: innocent people being imprisoned, corrupt politicians, and any number of threats.

 

“Neither do I. Lucky for us, we work well together.”

 

“We certainly have our moments,” Regina smiled, happy that Emma seemed to envision the same future that she did. “So, we could work as a team, then.”

 

“Absolutely. After all, why go for a measly one-person job when the two-person jobs are so much more exciting?”

 

Regina laughed, burrowing her head further into Emma’s neck, and she felt the answering chuckle.

 

Someone jostled into her on other side, and Regina huffed. There were so many people crowded onto this boat that there was always someone within two feet of her. No apology came, and that was mildly annoying, but she was too focused on Emma to care.

 

Emma, however, turned and peered something in the distance. “Check your pockets.”

 

“What?”  


“Your pockets.”

 

Regina felt for her pockets and came up with nothing. Most of her money was in her pack in the bunk, but she’d had several clenna in her pockets that were now gone.

 

Regina spun around.

 

“I think it was the boy,” Emma said, and Regina immediately spotted a short brunette weaving through the crowd toward the stairs that would take him belowdecks.

 

Regina followed after him, not running, but also not letting him out of her sight. That was easy to do, as the boy was moving at a leisurely pace, ostensibly to avoid suspicion. Regina almost wanted to commend him on the performance. If Emma had not seen him, she would have no reason to suspect him. The kid was good.

 

Regardless, she wanted her money back.

 

“Excuse me,” Regina said when they were right behind the boy and away from the crowd.

 

He turned and immediately shrugged, digging a hand into his pockets and holding the money out to her. “I was gonna give it back. Just wanted to see if I could do it.”

 

A strange statement from someone who had obviously done this before, unless he just had remarkable beginner’s luck in thievery.

 

She took the proffered money and rolled it around in her hand, not yet putting it back in her pockets. “Why?” she asked, going for the obvious question.

 

He grinned up at them, and he could not have been older than nine or ten years. “My name’s Henry. I’m a spy.”

 

Regina choked back a laugh. Well, that was unexpected.

 

“I’m sorry?”

 

“I’m a spy,” he repeated, as though it was obvious. “Well, sort of. I was there that day at the castle. I saw you defeat the bad king. Then I followed you to the chapel, and the princess said you were gonna run away. So I went to Alorhha and got on this ship because I guessed you would be here. And I was right. I found you!” he finished proudly.

 

Regina was unsure what to say, and a quick glance at Emma told her the other other woman was equally stymied.

 

“But...why?” Regina finally asked, as it seemed to be the only thing to do in the situation.

 

“I wanna learn to be a hero. Like you.”

 

“We’re not heroes, kid,” Emma said.

 

“Saved an entire kingdom, didn’t ya?”

 

Regina hesitated. “Sort of.”

 

He shrugged. “Sounds like heroes to me.”

 

“‘Tis a bit more complicated than that. And we are in danger quite frequently.”

 

“I’m an orphan and a thief. My life’s already dangerous.”

 

Regina had no argument for that. “Don’t you have...I don’t know, someone who cares for you? Where did you live?”

 

“The cook at the castle was letting me sleep in the kitchens for a while, but she got mad when I took some money from one of the dukes who was always mean to the serving maids. She told me I needed to live somewhere else. I was going to leave, but I decided to watch one more Gifting ceremony from the secret spot in the walls - I’m really good at finding secret spots.”

 

“And you saw us take the necklace?”

 

“Yes. And I knew you could teach me to be a hero. To use all my spying and thieving for good!”

 

“But that still doesn’t explain why you stole from me.”

 

Henry paused, biting his lip. “Well, I had to make sure you were really good. I’ve met people who _seemed_ good, but then they were mean. But you didn’t hit me, and you didn’t turn me in. You just took your money back, and that’s not mean. That’s just fair.” He said all this so matter-of-factly that Regina hurt. He was young, but he clearly had not had an easy life.

 

“I’ll let you think about it. I know ‘tis a big decision, and we still have several days before we reach Yalia.”

 

With that, he turned and disappeared belowdecks, and Regina met Emma’s nonplussed look with one of her own.

 

“That was unexpected.”

 

Emma laughed. “You can say that again.”

 

“What do you think?”

 

“I know nothing about raising kids.”

 

“Neither do I. But…” she trailed off.

 

“You’re not actually suggesting that we take him on our journeys?” Emma asked, incredulous. “He’ll get killed for sure. I mean, he’s cute and fast, but he’s just a little kid.”

 

Regina shook her head. “No, definitely not. But I think maybe I could talk to Queen Tiana and get him a job at the castle. Then when we’re between missions, we could train him. Once he’s put on a few years, his skills would probably be useful, if he still wanted.”

 

Emma contemplated it for a few moments. “That’s a good idea. We can always use a good thief.”

 

Regina continued thinking it over. “I like it. He would have a good home. I know the armsmaster there, Geppetto. He’s a good man. And his son is about Henry’s age. I think he’d like it.”

 

“You could help him improve his speed and glowering, and I could help him with his swordwork,” Emma said seriously, nodding to herself, and it took half a moment for Regina to catch up with her words.

 

“Hey!” she said, smacking lightly against Emma’s arm, and Emma looked at her with mock innocence.

 

“You try to hide it with all the glowering, but you really just have a big, soft heart, don’t you?”

 

Regina scoffed.

 

“One little orphan with big eyes, and suddenly you’re going to conquer the world for him.”

 

“Shush, like you weren’t doing the same.” Regina said, deflecting.

 

“‘Tis alright. I like that about you.” Emma stepped close again, pressing her forehead to Regina’s. “I like a lot of things about you.”

 

“I’ll be sure to remind you of that when we’re three weeks on the road and I’ve decided your long-winded stories aren’t quite so charming.”

 

“I’m sure I can come up with a way to keep you quiet,” Emma said with a wiggle of her brows, and Regina rolled her eyes.

 

“Three more days before we reach Yalia.”

 

“And many more after that. What do you say? Ready to take down all the bad guys together?”

 

Regina grinned, taking Emma’s outstretched hand.

 

“Absolutely.”

 

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! This is the longest fic I've ever completed, and it was quite the journey. 
> 
> Also, I'm on Twitter now! You can find me [@swansaloft](https://twitter.com/swansaloft). Come say hi. :D
> 
> **
> 
> Writers and artists spent months creating the fics and art you enjoy - it would mean the world to them if you commented to tell them what you liked! The SQSupernova team is also sponsoring a contest for commenters, and you can find out more [here](http://sqsupernova.tumblr.com/post/177527168129/the-swan-queen-supernova-comments-contest-returns). 

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [[Art] 'Til Journey's End](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15808839) by [Sarconistia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sarconistia/pseuds/Sarconistia)




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